News Archaeology

Chemical residue reveals ancient Egyptians’ mummy-making mixtures

Mummification specialists had distinct concoctions for specific parts of the body

rows of pots and other vessels used in an Egyptian embalming workshop seen in an archaeological site

Vessels from an ancient Egyptian embalming workshop, including these, provided scientists with clues to the ingredients used in various mixtures for preparing the dead for mummification.

Saqqara Saite Tombs Project/Univ. of Tübingen, M. Abdelghaffar

By Bruce Bower

Scientists have unwrapped long-sought details of embalming practices that ancient Egyptians used to preserve dead bodies.

Clues came from analyses of chemical residue inside vessels from the only known Egyptian embalming workshop and nearby burial chambers.