Richly Adorned Egyptian Tomb Could Rewrite the History of Mummification
Also: Mummy’s older than we thought: new find could rewrite history (The Observer)
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Source: Smithsonian Magazine
Richly Adorned Egyptian Tomb Could Rewrite the History of Mummification
A new analysis of a Fifth-Dynasty official’s mummy suggests sophisticated embalming techniques are 1,000 years older than previously believed
Livia Gershon
Daily Correspondent
October 25, 2021
A new analysis of an ancient Egyptian mummy suggests that sophisticated techniques for preserving the dead may be 1,000 years older than previously believed. The discovery centers on the tomb of a high-ranking Old Kingdom official known as Khuwy, reports Kamal Tabikha for the National.
Archaeologists excavated the mummy at the Saqqara necropolis, south of Cairo, in 2019. Hieroglyphs on the wall of the tomb where the deceased was laid to rest show that the burial took place during the Fifth Dynasty period, which spanned the early 25th to mid-24th century B.C.E. Pottery and jars used to store body parts removed during the man’s mummification also appear to date to the time of the Old Kingdom.
As Dalya Alberge reports for the Observer, researchers previously believed that high-quality linen dressings and resin of the kind employed in Khuwy’s mummification weren’t used until much later.
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“Until now, we had thought that Old Kingdom mummification was relatively simple, with basic desiccation—not always successful—no removal of the brain, and only occasional removal of the internal organs,” Salima Ikram, an Egyptologist at the American University in Cairo, tells the Observer. “Indeed, more attention was paid to the exterior appearance of the deceased than the interior.”
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Read more: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/sophisticated-egyptian-mummification-techniques-may-be-much-older-than-thought-180978929/
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Source: The Observer
Mummy’s older than we thought: new find could rewrite history
Dalya Alberge
Sun 24 Oct 2021 09.00 BST
Discovery of nobleman Khuwy shows that Egyptians were using advanced embalming methods 1,000 years before assumed date
The ancient Egyptians were carrying out sophisticated mummifications of their dead 1,000 years earlier than previously thought, according to new evidence which could lead to a rewriting of the history books.
The preserved body of a high-ranking nobleman called Khuwy, discovered in 2019, has been found to be far older than assumed and is, in fact, one of the oldest Egyptian mummies ever discovered. It has been dated to the Old Kingdom, proving that mummification techniques some 4,000 years ago were highly advanced.
The sophistication of the body’s mummification process and the materials used – including its exceptionally fine linen dressing and high-quality resin – was not thought to have been achieved until 1,000 years later.
Professor Salima Ikram, head of Egyptology at the American University in Cairo and a leading expert on the history of mummification, told the Observer: “If this is indeed an Old Kingdom mummy, all books about mummification and the history of the Old Kingdom will need to be revised.”
She added: “This would completely turn our understanding of the evolution of mummification on its head. The materials used, their origins, and the trade routes associated with them will dramatically impact our understanding of Old Kingdom Egypt.
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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/oct/24/mummys-older-than-we-thought-new-find-rewrites-the-history-books
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