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The ancient Egyptians are perhaps best known for the way they treated their dead, from building huge pyramids to filling underground tombs with luxurious treasures and artifacts. Egyptians are also famous for mummifying many of the recently deceased in order to preserve their bodies.
But since when did people ancient egypt Are we going to start mummifying the dead?
“There is clear scientific evidence that the origin of Egyptian mummies is [circa] 4,300 B.C.” stephen buckleya researcher at the University of York, UK, and co-author two paper He spoke to Live Science about this topic via email. “We may find that it goes back even further,” Buckley said.
The evidence includes a 6,300-year-old mummy parcel discovered in an ancient Egyptian burial ground at the ruins of Mostajeda, about 200 miles (320 kilometers) south of Cairo. As Buckley et al. pointed out in a 2014 PLOS One study, the burial was excavated in the early 20th century and the packaging was taken to Britain, where it is now housed at Bolton Museum.
In the study, scientists I tested the wrapping And it turns out they contain resin, which is usually used for mummification. Tests have shown that these resins are made from a variety of ingredients, including vegetable oils, animal fats, waxes, and vegetable gums. Similar resins were also used by the ancient Egyptians in later times. mummificationpointed out the scientists.
To put the 4,300 BC date into context, this is about 1000 BC before the Egyptians. developed hieroglyphs and about 1,500 years before they began build a pyramid. Also, Egypt was not unified until about 1000 years ago. one pharaoh.
natural mummification
The earliest evidence of human mummification of human remains dates back to around 4,300 BC, but Egyptians underwent natural mummification even earlier.
Buckley said natural mummification is “a serendipitous process caused by favorable burial conditions,” such as being buried in hot, dry sand. “Egyptians did not spontaneously start mummifying their dead at any point in time, in terms of a conscious act,” Buckley said.
Salima IkramAn Egyptology professor at the American University in Cairo told LiveScience in an email that the earliest examples of naturally mummified mummies date back to 5000 BC, if not earlier.
Even after artificial mummies were developed, many Egyptians could not afford artificial mummies, so they were still natural mummies and buried in the desert. Mr Buckley said natural mummification could have happened by chance, as “the vast majority of ancient Egyptians were simply put into holes in the ground without any preparation”.
“We don’t know what was in the minds of the ancient Egyptians,” Ikram said, “but we don’t know what was going through the minds of the ancient Egyptians, but they were kept in sand tombs far from water, kept in reed rugs or coffins, or wrapped in skin.” It would be no surprise if it hadn’t happened.” Mummified. ”
As Christianity spread in Egypt between the 2nd and 5th centuries AD, the use of artificial mummies declined, the report said. Royal Ontario Museum. Ancient Egyptian religion emphasized the importance of preserving bodies for the afterlife, but Christianity did not, the museum noted.
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