“We have known the names of many of these embalming ingredients since ancient Egyptian writings were deciphered, but until now we could only guess which substances are behind each name,” comments Susanne Beck of the University of Tübingen.
The discovery of the Sakkara laboratory, which took place near the Pyramid of Unas in 2016, marked a turning point and brought many surprises to archaeologists. For example, it was discovered that the substance the Egyptians called “Antiu,” commonly translated myrrh, was actually a mixture of ingredients (such as cedar oil, juniper and animal fat), which the researchers were able to separate using techniques such as gas chromatography and mass spectrometry.
By comparing the identified substances with the labels on the containers, it was possible for the first time to determine exactly which ingredients were used to embalm certain parts of the body. Pistachio resin and castor oilwere used only for the head of the deceased, for example, while other mixtures were used for washing the body or softening the skin.
“What really surprised us is that most of the substances are used for embalming it was not from Egypt“, says archaeologist Philipp Stockhammer from the University of Munich, who funded the research with a Starting Grant from the European Research Council (ERC). “Some ingredients were imported from the Mediterranean region and even from tropical Africa and Southeast Asia,” he emphasized.
In addition to pistachio resinatcedar oil and al bitumen (all probably from the Levant), the researchers also found residues of damar and elemi resin: these two substances in particular show how trade relations were already globalized almost 3,000 years ago. “The Egyptian mummification probably played an important role in the emergence of the first global networks,” says Maxime Rageot from the University of Tübingen.
“Thanks to all the inscriptions on the vases – so Stockhammer concludes – in the future we will be able to further decipher the vocabulary of ancient Egyptian chemistry that has not been sufficiently understood so far.”
