[Reading Science] '2500-Year-Old Preservation Techniques' The Amazing Chemical Knowledge of Ancient Egyptians

Chemical Composition of 2,500-Year-Old Mummy Preservatives Revealed
Imported Plant Extracts from India and Southeast Asia Used
"Ancient Egyptians' Sophisticated Chemical Knowledge Astonishing"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] "The chemical knowledge of ancient Egyptians is mysterious and astonishing."

It has been confirmed that over 2,500 years ago, ancient Egyptians imported embalming materials from as far away as Southeast Asia to make mummies.

A joint research team from Germany and Egypt published a research paper containing these findings on the 1st in the international academic journal Nature. The team studied artifacts excavated from an underground embalming facility discovered in the Saqqara region of Egypt in 2016. The Saqqara area had been used as a burial site for the social elite of ancient Egypt since before 2900 BC. The researchers found dozens of ceramic containers used for embalming materials in the underground embalming site, which is believed to have been in use around 525?664 BC. The contents and purposes of these ceramics were indicated in hieroglyphs.

(Photo by Getty Images Bank)

The research team analyzed the residues remaining in the ceramic containers. Substances obtainable in Egypt or nearby regions were found. Extracts from Mediterranean eastern trees such as juniper, cypress, and cedar were identified. Animal fats, beeswax, and bitumen from the Dead Sea were also confirmed.

What was remarkable was the discovery of plant components originating from India and Southeast Asia, far from Egypt. First, elemi, a fragrant resin extracted from the Canarium tree that grows in tropical rainforests of Asia and Africa, was identified. Elemi is a type of aromatic resin used in ointments and varnishes. Additionally, dammar resin extracted from Shorea trees native to southern India, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asian tropical forests was found. This white or pale yellow-brown resin is used as a clarifier, gloss agent, and stabilizer. The research team suggests that ancient Egyptians who made mummies likely acquired these components through long-distance trade.

Storage jars for materials excavated from the underground mummy embalming workshop of ancient Egyptians discovered in Saqqara, Egypt, in 2016. Photo by the University of T?bingen, Germany.

The researchers believe that ancient Egyptian embalming technicians possessed sophisticated knowledge about raw materials. The substances in the ceramic containers had been carefully heated or distilled. Moreover, most of them had properties that precisely matched their 'intended uses,' such as antimicrobial or preservative effects. One container containing elemi and animal fat was even labeled "to make his smell pleasant."

The research team stated, "The Egyptians' knowledge of these substances and embalming methods is astonishing and became increasingly complex and refined over time," adding, "Further research is needed to understand how they achieved this and why they selected such materials."