New research suggests that mummification may have been a prehistoric phenomenon in Egypt.
Historians have traditionally believed that mummification was a product of the Old Kingdom of Egypt (2200 BC) and that all desiccated bodies of prehistory resulted from exposure to the region's arid desert environment. Yet, a York, Macquarie and Oxford team have identified a complex embalming compound on the wrappings of some early Egyptian corpses. If authentic, this could place the tradition of mummification as far back as 3100 B.C.
To learn more about the research at York, Macquarie and Oxford head to Science Daily and for more mummies stay here at Science Source.
Embalming