“Unlocking Ancient Secrets: The 5,600-Year-Old Mummy that Holds the Key to Egypt’s First Embalming Recipe”
Raffaella Bianucci, University of Turin
Jones and her team used a variety of tests to examine the linen fragments from the Turin mummy’s torso and wrist as well as a woven basket that was buried with his remains to figure out the exact components of the embalming salve. What they discovered turned out to be a groundbreaking find.
The salve consisted of a plant oil base that was then combined with plant gum or sugars, heated conifer resin, and aromatic plant extracts. The components were extremely similar to the salves used thousands of years later, suggesting that Ancient Egyptian embalming practices had been established far earlier than previously thought.
“It’s confirming our previous research, undoubtedly,” Jones told National Geographic.
cristian/Flickr
However, the Turin mummy was discovered in the fetal position with all of his organs still inside his body, which is vastly different from the techniques that the Ancient Egyptians used on mummies afterward (which included laying them flat and removing their organs). Nevertheless, the salve used to embalm the bodies was remarkably similar to the ones used much later.
Thus the study’s groundbreaking discovery has taken a giant leap towards unlocking secrets about the mysterious and fascinating story of Ancient Egyptian mummies.
Next, meet some of the most astoundingly well-preserved mummies in history, including China’s Xin Zhui and Peru’s Lady of Ampato.
