5/7/2023 0 Comments Natron mummification![]() ![]() ![]() The scant details we have about the mummification process mostly comes from ancient papyrus, with Greek authors such as Herodotus often filling in gaps.īy identifying the residue in their new bowls, the researchers found that the word "antiu", which has long been translated as myrrh or frankincense, can actually be a mixture of numerous different ingredients. The labels also helped Egyptologists clear up some confusion about the names of some of the substances. "But until now, we could only guess at what substances were behind each name." "We have known the names of many of these embalming ingredients since ancient Egyptian writings were deciphered," Egyptologist Susanne Beck said in a statement from Tuebingen University. The head received the most care with three different concoctions - one of which was labelled "to put on his head". "To wash," reads the label of one bowl, while another says: "to make his odour pleasant". Helpfully, the vessels have labels on them. The substances had "antifungal, anti-bacterial properties" which helped "preserve human tissues and reduce unpleasant smells," the study's lead author, Maxime Rageot, told a press conference. ![]() Now a team of researchers from Germany's Tuebingen and Munich universities in collaboration with the National Research Centre in Cairo has found some answers by analysing the residue in 31 ceramic vessels found at the Saqqara mummification workshop.īy comparing the residue to containers found in adjacent tombs, they were able to identify which chemicals were used. Then the embalmers, accompanied by priests, washed the body and used a variety of substances to prevent it from decomposing.īut exactly how this was done has largely remained lost to time. It involved desiccating the body with natron salt, and evisceration - removing the lungs, stomach, intestines and liver. Inside the vessels, researchers detected tree resin from Asia, cedar oil from Lebanon and bitumen from the Dead Sea, showing that global trade helped embalmers source the very best ingredients from across the world.Īncient Egyptians developed a remarkably advanced process to embalm corpses, believing that if bodies were kept intact they would reach the afterlife. The exceptional collection of pottery, dating from around 664-525 BC, was found at the bottom of a 13-metre (42 feet) well at the Saqqara Necropolis south of Cairo in 2016. The vast burial site at the ancient Egyptian capital Memphis, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is home to more than a dozen pyramids, animal graves and ancient Coptic Christian monasteries. A collection of pharaoh statues is on display during a press conference at the Saqqara necropolis, where a gold-laced mummy and four tombs including of an ancient king's "secret keeper" were discovered, south of Cairo on January 26, 2023. ![]()
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