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Huber B, Hammann S, Loeben CE, Jha DK, Vassão DG, Larsen T, Spengler RN, Fuller DQ, Roberts P, Devièse T, Boivin N. Biomolecular characterization of 3500-year-old ancient Egyptian mummification balms from the Valley of the Kings. Sci Rep 2023; 13:12477. [PMID: 37652925 PMCID: PMC10471619 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-39393-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Ancient Egyptian mummification was practiced for nearly 4000 years as a key feature of some of the most complex mortuary practices documented in the archaeological record. Embalming, the preservation of the body and organs of the deceased for the afterlife, was a central component of the Egyptian mummification process. Here, we combine GC-MS, HT-GC-MS, and LC-MS/MS analyses to examine mummification balms excavated more than a century ago by Howard Carter from Tomb KV42 in the Valley of the Kings. Balm residues were scraped from now empty canopic jars that once contained the mummified organs of the noble lady Senetnay, dating to the 18th dynasty, ca. 1450 BCE. Our analysis revealed balms consisting of beeswax, plant oil, fats, bitumen, Pinaceae resins, a balsamic substance, and dammar or Pistacia tree resin. These are the richest, most complex balms yet identified for this early time period and they shed light on balm ingredients for which there is limited information in Egyptian textual sources. They highlight both the exceptional status of Senetnay and the myriad trade connections of the Egyptians in the 2nd millennium BCE. They further illustrate the excellent preservation possible even for organic remains long removed from their original archaeological context.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Huber
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany.
- Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Eberhard Karl University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - S Hammann
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - C E Loeben
- Egyptian and Islamic Collections, Museum August Kestner, Hannover, Germany
| | - D K Jha
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
| | - D G Vassão
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
- Department of Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - T Larsen
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
| | - R N Spengler
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
- Domestication and Anthropogenic Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
| | - D Q Fuller
- Institute of Archaeology, University College London, London, UK
| | - P Roberts
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
- isoTROPIC Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
| | - T Devièse
- Centre Européen de Recherche et d'Enseignement des Géosciences de l'Environnement (CEREGE), Aix Marseille University, Aix-en-Provence, France
| | - N Boivin
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany.
- School of Social Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
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Rageot M, Hussein RB, Beck S, Altmann-Wendling V, Ibrahim MIM, Bahgat MM, Yousef AM, Mittelstaedt K, Filippi JJ, Buckley S, Spiteri C, Stockhammer PW. Biomolecular analyses enable new insights into ancient Egyptian embalming. Nature 2023; 614:287-293. [PMID: 36725928 PMCID: PMC9908542 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05663-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The ability of the ancient Egyptians to preserve the human body through embalming has not only fascinated people since antiquity, but also has always raised the question of how this outstanding chemical and ritual process was practically achieved. Here we integrate archaeological, philological and organic residue analyses, shedding new light on the practice and economy of embalming in ancient Egypt. We analysed the organic contents of 31 ceramic vessels recovered from a 26th Dynasty embalming workshop at Saqqara1,2. These vessels were labelled according to their content and/or use, enabling us to correlate organic substances with their Egyptian names and specific embalming practices. We identified specific mixtures of fragrant or antiseptic oils, tars and resins that were used to embalm the head and treat the wrappings using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses. Our study of the Saqqara workshop extends interpretations from a micro-level analysis highlighting the socio-economic status of a tomb owner3-7 to macro-level interpretations of the society. The identification of non-local organic substances enables the reconstruction of trade networks that provided ancient Egyptian embalmers with the substances required for mummification. This extensive demand for foreign products promoted trade both within the Mediterranean8-10 (for example, Pistacia and conifer by-products) and with tropical forest regions (for example, dammar and elemi). Additionally, we show that at Saqqara, antiu and sefet-well known from ancient texts and usually translated as 'myrrh' or 'incense'11-13 and 'a sacred oil'13,14-refer to a coniferous oils-or-tars-based mixture and an unguent with plant additives, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Rageot
- Institute for Pre- and Protohistoric Archaeology and Archaeology of the Roman Provinces, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, Germany. .,Department of Pre- and Protohistory, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Ramadan B. Hussein
- grid.10392.390000 0001 2190 1447Department of Egyptology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Susanne Beck
- grid.10392.390000 0001 2190 1447Department of Egyptology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Victoria Altmann-Wendling
- grid.5252.00000 0004 1936 973XInstitute for Pre- and Protohistoric Archaeology and Archaeology of the Roman Provinces, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, Germany ,grid.8379.50000 0001 1958 8658Department of Egyptology, Julius-Maximilians University, Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Mohammed I. M. Ibrahim
- grid.419725.c0000 0001 2151 8157The Central Laboratories Network, the National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mahmoud M. Bahgat
- grid.419725.c0000 0001 2151 8157The Central Laboratories Network, the National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Ahmed M. Yousef
- grid.419725.c0000 0001 2151 8157Packaging Materials Department, the National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Katja Mittelstaedt
- grid.5252.00000 0004 1936 973XInstitute for Pre- and Protohistoric Archaeology and Archaeology of the Roman Provinces, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Stephen Buckley
- grid.10392.390000 0001 2190 1447Department of Pre- and Protohistory, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany ,grid.5685.e0000 0004 1936 9668BioArCh, University of York, York, UK
| | - Cynthianne Spiteri
- grid.10392.390000 0001 2190 1447Department of Pre- and Protohistory, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany ,grid.7605.40000 0001 2336 6580Department of Life Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Philipp W. Stockhammer
- grid.5252.00000 0004 1936 973XInstitute for Pre- and Protohistoric Archaeology and Archaeology of the Roman Provinces, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, Germany ,grid.419518.00000 0001 2159 1813Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
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Chemical Modification of Biomarkers through Accelerated Degradation: Implications for Ancient Plant Identification in Archaeo-Organic Residues. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27103331. [PMID: 35630808 PMCID: PMC9145360 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27103331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Biochemical and biomolecular archaeology is increasingly used to elucidate the consumption, use, origin, and trade of plants in the past. However, it can be challenging to use biomarkers to identify the taxonomic origin of archaeological plants due to limited knowledge of molecular survival and degradation for many key plant compounds in archaeological contexts. To gain a fundamental understanding of the chemical alterations associated with chemical degradation processes in ancient samples, we conducted accelerated degradation experiments with essential oil derived from cedar (Cedrus atlantica) exposed to materials commonly found in the archaeological record. Using GC-MS and multivariate analysis, we detected a total of 102 compounds across 19 treatments that were classified into three groups. The first group comprised compounds that were abundant in fresh cedar oil but would be unlikely to remain in ancient residues due to rapid degradation. The second group consisted of compounds that remained relatively stable or increased over time, which could be potential biomarkers for identifying cedar in archaeological residues. Compounds in the third group were absent in fresh cedar oil but were formed during specific experiments that could be indicative for certain storage conditions. These results show that caution is warranted for applying biomolecular profiles of fresh plants to ancient samples and that carefully designed accelerated degradation experiments can, at least in part, overcome this limitation.
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Ancient smells reveal secrets of Egyptian tomb. Nature 2022; 604:414. [PMID: 35361943 DOI: 10.1038/d41586-022-00903-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Marković M, Mezzatesta E, Porcier S, Vieillescazes C, Mathe C. Rethinking the Process of Animal Mummification in Ancient Egypt: Molecular Characterization of Embalming Material and the Use of Brassicaceae Seed Oil in the Mummification of Gazelle Mummies from Kom Mereh, Egypt. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27051532. [PMID: 35268632 PMCID: PMC8912108 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27051532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 02/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The study of animal mummification in ancient Egypt has recently received increasing attention from a number of modern scholars given the fact that this part of ancient Egyptian funerary and religious history is a practice yet to be fully understood. In this study, nine samples of embalming matter were extracted from six gazelle mummies from the archaeological site of Kom Mereh (modern village of Komir), dated to the Roman period of dominance in ancient Egypt. All samples were analyzed for the presence of inorganic and organic matter applying a multi-analytical approach based on Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Furthermore, in order to identify more specific compounds such as bitumen and beeswax in studied balms, each sample was subjected to a solid phase extraction (SPE) and saponification separation process, respectively. The results of this study revealed that the majority of the analyzed embalming substances sampled from six gazelle mummies from Kom Mereh were complex mixtures of plant oils, animal fats, conifer resin, and beeswax. In this regard, this study was able to report a practice until now unmentioned in the scientific literature, namely, the use of cruciferous oil, derived from seeds of Brassicaceae plants, in animal mummification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milan Marković
- IMBE UMR 7263, IRD237, Avignon University/CNRS/IRD/Aix-Marseille University, Restoration Engineering of Natural and Cultural Heritage, Faculty of Sciences, Campus Jean-Henri Fabre, 301 rue Baruch de Spinoza BP 21239, CEDEX 9, 84916 Avignon, France; (E.M.); (C.V.)
- Correspondence: (M.M.); (C.M.); Tel.: +33-490-144-454 (C.M.)
| | - Elodie Mezzatesta
- IMBE UMR 7263, IRD237, Avignon University/CNRS/IRD/Aix-Marseille University, Restoration Engineering of Natural and Cultural Heritage, Faculty of Sciences, Campus Jean-Henri Fabre, 301 rue Baruch de Spinoza BP 21239, CEDEX 9, 84916 Avignon, France; (E.M.); (C.V.)
| | - Stéphanie Porcier
- ASM, Archéologie des Sociétés Méditerranéennes, UMR5140, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Universités Paul Valéry, MCC (Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication), INRAP (Institut National de Recherches en Archéologie Préventive), CEDEX 5, F-34090 Montpellier, France;
| | - Cathy Vieillescazes
- IMBE UMR 7263, IRD237, Avignon University/CNRS/IRD/Aix-Marseille University, Restoration Engineering of Natural and Cultural Heritage, Faculty of Sciences, Campus Jean-Henri Fabre, 301 rue Baruch de Spinoza BP 21239, CEDEX 9, 84916 Avignon, France; (E.M.); (C.V.)
| | - Carole Mathe
- IMBE UMR 7263, IRD237, Avignon University/CNRS/IRD/Aix-Marseille University, Restoration Engineering of Natural and Cultural Heritage, Faculty of Sciences, Campus Jean-Henri Fabre, 301 rue Baruch de Spinoza BP 21239, CEDEX 9, 84916 Avignon, France; (E.M.); (C.V.)
- Correspondence: (M.M.); (C.M.); Tel.: +33-490-144-454 (C.M.)
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Lebedev AT, Polyakova OV, Artaev VB, Mednikova MB, Anokhina EA. Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry with complementary ionization methods in the study of 5000-year-old mummy. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2021; 35:e9058. [PMID: 33496359 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.9058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2020] [Revised: 01/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Mummification is one of the defining customs of ancient Egypt. The nuances of the embalming procedure and the composition of the embalming mixtures have attracted the attention of scientists and laypeople for a long time. Modern analytical tools make mummy studies more efficient. METHODS Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (GCxGC/HRMS) with complementary ionization methods (electron ionization, positive chemical ionization, and electron capture negative ionization [ECNI]) with a Pegasus GC-HRT+4D instrument was used to identify embalming components in the mummy from the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts acquired in 1913 in London at the de Rustafjaell sale. The mummy dates back to the late Predynastic period (direct accelerator mass spectrometry-dating 3356-3098 bc), being one of the oldest in the world. RESULTS The results showed the complexity of the embalming mixtures that were already in use 5000 years ago. Several hundred organic compounds were identified in the mummy samples. Various types of hydrocarbons (triterpanes, steranes, isoprenoid, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) prove the presence of petroleum products. Iodinated compounds detected using ECNI define oils of marine origin, whereas esters of palmitic acid indicate the use of beeswax. The nature of the discovered components of conifer tar proves that the preliminary processing of conifer resins involved heating. GCxGC/HRMS also allowed a number of modern contaminants (phthalates, organophosphates, and even DDT) to be identified. CONCLUSIONS Application of a powerful GCxGC/HRMS technique with complementary ionization methods allowed significant widening of the range of organic compounds used for mummification that could be identified. The complexity of the embalming mixtures supports the hypothesis of the high social status of the child made on the basis of the preliminary study of the mummy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert T Lebedev
- Organic Chemistry Department, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Olga V Polyakova
- Organic Chemistry Department, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Maria B Mednikova
- Department of Theory and Methods, Institute of Archaeology RAS, Moscow, Russia
| | - Eugenia A Anokhina
- Department of the Ancient Orient, The Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow, Russia
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Davey J, Spring G. Is ancestry, not natron, an explanation for fair haired children in Greco-Roman Egypt? Forensic Sci Med Pathol 2020; 16:207-215. [PMID: 32410108 DOI: 10.1007/s12024-020-00225-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In an examination of three unwrapped mummified children from the Graeco-Roman Period of ancient Egypt there was an unexpected finding of fair hair. In the majority of unwrapped ancient Egyptian mummified bodies the hair was not fair but rather dark brown or black. To determine if exposure to natron during the mummification process was responsible for the fair hair color an experiment was carried out to partially replicate the environment in which bodies were desiccated. Fourteen samples of modern hair from various age groups, sex and ethnicity were subjected to synthetic natron for a period of 40 days to replicate the time taken to mummify a body. Macroscopic and microscopic examinations of samples were employed to ascertain any significant changes in hair color after treatment. Ancient wigs were studied for evidence of post mortem changes to hair color since construction over 2,000 years ago. Results of the study showed no significant lightening of hair color and in several samples the hair significantly darkened as the result of exposure to the natron. There was not any evidence that hair lightened as the result of natural post mortem changes and this was confirmed by the study of the natural hair wigs that had not changed color post mortem. This study concluded that the fair hair observed in the three child mummies was not the result of exposure to natron or post mortem changes but rather it was probably due to ancestry because of the presence of diverse genomes that were introduced into ancient Egypt during the Greco-Roman Period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet Davey
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. .,Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, 65 Kavanagh St., Southbank,, 3006 Victorian, Australia.
| | - Gale Spring
- School of Science, RMIT University, 124 La Trobe St., Melbourne, 3000, Australia
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Cockitt J, Lamb A, Metcalfe R. An ideal solution? Optimising pretreatment methods for artificially mummified ancient Egyptian tissues. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2020; 34:e8686. [PMID: 31785028 PMCID: PMC7064939 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.8686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Revised: 11/28/2019] [Accepted: 11/29/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Although the analysis of skeletal remains dominates the study of ancient dietary stable isotopes, mummified bodies also allow short-term diet to be studied through the analysis of soft tissues. The application of resins, waxes and oils during mummification can affect the results obtained. This study assesses a range of methods for removing such substances from mummified tissue. METHODS An experimental mummification model following ancient Egyptian methods was created using a modern pig leg. Sub-samples of skin, muscle and bone were removed and coated with a range of substances used in Egyptian mummification. Four methods were used to clean these samples before the measurement of the carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios of their gelatinised collagen content using a ThermoFinnigan Flash Elemental analyser coupled to a DeltaPlus XL isotope ratio mass spectrometer via a ConFlo III interface. RESULTS The results showed that embalming materials can significantly affect dietary stable isotope ratios, and that these substances are most effectively removed using a mixture of polar and non-polar solvents. Results indicate that bone samples demineralised with HCl and skin samples produce more accurate results than bone samples demineralised with EDTA or muscle samples. CONCLUSIONS The choice of tissue and the preparation methods used can have a significant effect on the accuracy of stable isotope data obtained from mummified tissue, particularly when embalming materials are also present. A mixture of solvents appears to be a more effective cleaning agent than a single solvent. Demineralisation with HCl is preferable for well-preserved bone, as used in this study, but whether this is the case for more fragile, less well-preserved bone requires further study. Skin samples produce more consistent data than muscle, but visually distinguishing between these tissues is not simple on ancient mummies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenefer Cockitt
- KNH Centre for Biomedical EgyptologyUniversity of ManchesterOxford RoadManchesterM13 9PLUK
| | - Angela Lamb
- National Environmental Isotope FacilityBritish Geological SurveyKeyworth, NottinghamNG12 5GGUK
| | - Ryan Metcalfe
- KNH Centre for Biomedical EgyptologyUniversity of ManchesterOxford RoadManchesterM13 9PLUK
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Yatsishina EB, Pozhidaev VM, Sergeeva YE, Malakhov SN, Slushnaya IS. An Integrated Study of the Hair Coating of Ancient Egyptian Mummies. JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY 2020. [DOI: 10.1134/s1061934819120141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Öhrström L, Tekin A, Biedermann P, Morozova I, Habicht M, Gascho D, Bode-Lesniewska B, Imhof A, Rühli F, Eppenberger P. Experimental mummification-In the tracks of the ancient Egyptians. Clin Anat 2020; 33:860-871. [PMID: 31943391 DOI: 10.1002/ca.23568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Understanding natural and artificial postmortem alterations in different tissues of the human body is essential for bioarchaeology, paleogenetics, physical anthropology, forensic medicine, and many related disciplines. With this study, we tried to gain a better understanding of tissue alterations associated with the artificial mummification techniques of ancient Egypt, in particular for mummified visceral organs. We used several entire porcine organs and organ sections (liver, lung, stomach, ileum, and colon), which provided a close approximation to human organs. First, we dehydrated the specimens in artificial natron, before applying natural ointments, according to the ancient literary sources and recent publications. We periodically monitored the temperature, pH value, and weight of the specimens, in addition to radiodensity and volumetric measurements by clinical computed tomography and sampling for histological, bacteriological, and molecular analyses. After seven weeks, mummification was seen completed in all specimens. We observed a considerable loss of weight and volume, as well as similar courses in the decay of tissue architecture but varying levels of DNA degradation. Bacteriologically we did not detect any of the initially identified taxa in the samples by the end of the mummification process, nor any fungi. This feasibility study established an experimental protocol for future experiments modeling ancient Egyptian mummification of visceral organs using human specimens. Understanding desiccation and mummification processes in non-pathological tissues of specific visceral organs may help to identify and interpret disease-specific alterations in mummified tissues in ancient Egyptian canopic jars and organ packages contained in whole mummies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Öhrström
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ahmed Tekin
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Philipp Biedermann
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Irina Morozova
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Michael Habicht
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Dominic Gascho
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Beata Bode-Lesniewska
- Institute of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Alexander Imhof
- Microbiology Laboratory, Hospital of Langenthal, Langenthal, Switzerland
| | - Frank Rühli
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Patrick Eppenberger
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Oras E, Anderson J, Tõrv M, Vahur S, Rammo R, Remmer S, Mölder M, Malve M, Saag L, Saage R, Teearu-Ojakäär A, Peets P, Tambets K, Metspalu M, Lees DC, Barclay MVL, Hall MJR, Ikram S, Piombino-Mascali D. Multidisciplinary investigation of two Egyptian child mummies curated at the University of Tartu Art Museum, Estonia (Late/Graeco-Roman Periods). PLoS One 2020; 15:e0227446. [PMID: 31945091 PMCID: PMC6964855 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0227446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Two ancient Egyptian child mummies at the University of Tartu Art Museum (Estonia) were, according to museum records, brought to Estonia by the young Baltic-German scholar Otto Friedrich von Richter, who had travelled in Egypt during the early 19th century. Although some studies of the mummies were conducted, a thorough investigation has never been made. Thus, an interdisciplinary team of experts studied the remains using the most recent analytical methods in order to provide an exhaustive analysis of the remains. The bodies were submitted for osteological and archaeothanatological study, radiological investigation, AMS radiocarbon dating, chemical and textile analyses, 3D modelling, entomological as well as aDNA investigation. Here we synthesize the results of one of the most extensive multidisciplinary analyses of ancient Egyptian child mummies, adding significantly to our knowledge of such examples of ancient funerary practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ester Oras
- Institute of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
- Institute of History and Archaeology, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Mari Tõrv
- Institute of History and Archaeology, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Signe Vahur
- Institute of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Riina Rammo
- Institute of History and Archaeology, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Sünne Remmer
- Estonian Forensic Science Institute, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Maarja Mölder
- Estonian Forensic Science Institute, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Martin Malve
- Institute of History and Archaeology, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Lehti Saag
- Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Ragnar Saage
- Institute of History and Archaeology, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Anu Teearu-Ojakäär
- Institute of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Pilleriin Peets
- Institute of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | | | - Mait Metspalu
- Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | | | | | | | - Salima Ikram
- Department of Sociology, Egyptology and Anthropology, American University in Cairo, New Cairo, Egypt
- Department of Ancient Studies, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Dario Piombino-Mascali
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Anthropology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
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12
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Who Will Be the Members of Society 5.0? Towards an Anthropology of Technologically Posthumanized Future Societies. SOCIAL SCIENCES 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/socsci8050148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The Government of Japan’s “Society 5.0” initiative aims to create a cyber-physical society in which (among other things) citizens’ daily lives will be enhanced through increasingly close collaboration with artificially intelligent systems. However, an apparent paradox lies at the heart of efforts to create a more “human-centered” society in which human beings will live alongside a proliferating array of increasingly autonomous social robots and embodied AI. This study seeks to investigate the presumed human-centeredness of Society 5.0 by comparing its makeup with that of earlier societies. By distinguishing “technological” and “non-technological” processes of posthumanization and applying a phenomenological anthropological model, this study demonstrates: (1) how the diverse types of human and non-human members expected to participate in Society 5.0 differ qualitatively from one another; (2) how the dynamics that will shape the membership of Society 5.0 can be conceptualized; and (3) how the anticipated membership of Society 5.0 differs from that of Societies 1.0 through 4.0. This study describes six categories of prospective human and non-human members of Society 5.0 and shows that all six have analogues in earlier societies, which suggests that social scientific analysis of past societies may shed unexpected light on the nature of Society 5.0.
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Loynes RD, Charlier P, Froesch P, Houlton TMR, Lallo R, Di Vella G, Bianucci R. Virtopsy shows a high status funerary treatment in an early 18th Dynasty non-royal individual. Forensic Sci Med Pathol 2017; 13:302-311. [DOI: 10.1007/s12024-017-9879-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Jones J, Mirzaei M, Ravishankar P, Xavier D, Lim DS, Shin DH, Bianucci R, Haynes PA. Identification of proteins from 4200-year-old skin and muscle tissue biopsies from ancient Egyptian mummies of the first intermediate period shows evidence of acute inflammation and severe immune response. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2016; 374:rsta.2015.0373. [PMID: 27644972 PMCID: PMC5031639 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2015.0373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/28/2016] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
We performed proteomics analysis on four skin and one muscle tissue samples taken from three ancient Egyptian mummies of the first intermediate period, approximately 4200 years old. The mummies were first dated by radiocarbon dating of the accompany-\break ing textiles, and morphologically examined by scanning electron microscopy of additional skin samples. Proteins were extracted, separated on SDS-PAGE (sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) gels, and in-gel digested with trypsin. The resulting peptides were analysed using nanoflow high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. We identified a total of 230 unique proteins from the five samples, which consisted of 132 unique protein identifications. We found a large number of collagens, which was confirmed by our microscopy data, and is in agreement with previous studies showing that collagens are very long-lived. As expected, we also found a large number of keratins. We identified numerous proteins that provide evidence of activation of the innate immunity system in two of the mummies, one of which also contained proteins indicating severe tissue inflammation, possibly indicative of an infection that we can speculate may have been related to the cause of death.This article is part of the themed issue 'Quantitative mass spectrometry'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Jones
- Department of Ancient History, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Mehdi Mirzaei
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Prathiba Ravishankar
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Dylan Xavier
- Australian Proteome Analysis Facility, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Do Seon Lim
- Department of Dental Hygiene, College of Health Sciences, Eulji University, Sungnam, South Korea
| | - Dong Hoon Shin
- Department of Anatomy, Seoul National University, College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Raffaella Bianucci
- Department of Public Health and Paediatric Sciences, Legal Medicine Section, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy UMR 7268, Laboratoire d'Anthropologie bio-culturelle, Droit, Étique and Santé (ADÉS), Faculté de Médecine de Marseille, 13344 Marseille, France
| | - Paul A Haynes
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia
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Moissidou D, Day J, Shin DH, Bianucci R. Invasive versus Non Invasive Methods Applied to Mummy Research: Will This Controversy Ever Be Solved? BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2015; 2015:192829. [PMID: 26345295 PMCID: PMC4543116 DOI: 10.1155/2015/192829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2014] [Accepted: 04/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Advances in the application of non invasive techniques to mummified remains have shed new light on past diseases. The virtual inspection of a corpse, which has almost completely replaced classical autopsy, has proven to be important especially when dealing with valuable museum specimens. In spite of some very rewarding results, there are still many open questions. Non invasive techniques provide information on hard and soft tissue pathologies and allow information to be gleaned concerning mummification practices (e.g., ancient Egyptian artificial mummification). Nevertheless, there are other fields of mummy studies in which the results provided by non invasive techniques are not always self-explanatory. Reliance exclusively upon virtual diagnoses can sometimes lead to inconclusive and misleading interpretations. On the other hand, several types of investigation (e.g., histology, paleomicrobiology, and biochemistry), although minimally invasive, require direct contact with the bodies and, for this reason, are often avoided, particularly by museum curators. Here we present an overview of the non invasive and invasive techniques currently used in mummy studies and propose an approach that might solve these conflicts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Despina Moissidou
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School, National Kapodistrian University of Athens, 75 M. Asias Street, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Jasmine Day
- The Ancient Egypt Society of Western Australia Inc., P.O. Box 103, Ballajura, WA 6066, Australia
| | - Dong Hoon Shin
- Division of Paleopathology, Institute of Forensic Science, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 110-799, Republic of Korea
| | - Raffaella Bianucci
- Department of Public Health and Paediatric Sciences, Legal Medicine Section, University of Turin, Corso Galileo Galilei 22, 10126 Turin, Italy
- Center for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1066, Blindern, 0316 Oslo, Norway
- Anthropologie Bioculturelle, Droit, Ethique et Santé, Faculté de Médecine-Nord, Aix-Marseille Université, 15 boulevard Pierre Dramard, 13344 Marseille Cedex 15, France
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Bianucci R, Habicht ME, Buckley S, Fletcher J, Seiler R, Öhrström LM, Vassilika E, Böni T, Rühli FJ. Shedding New Light on the 18th Dynasty Mummies of the Royal Architect Kha and His Spouse Merit. PLoS One 2015. [PMID: 26200778 PMCID: PMC4511739 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0131916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The mummies of Kha and his wife Merit were found intact in an undisturbed tomb in western Thebes near the ancient workers’ village of Deir el-Medina. Previous MDCT (this abbreviation needs spelling out) investigations showed that the bodies of Kha and Merit did not undergo classical royal 18th Dynasty artificial mummification, which included removal of the internal organs. It was, therefore, concluded that the retention of the viscera in the body, combined with an absence of canopic jars in the burial chamber, meant the couple underwent a short and shoddy funerary procedure, despite their relative wealth at death. Nevertheless, all internal organs - brain, ocular bulbs/ocular nerves, thoracic and abdominal organs - showed a very good state of preservation, which contradicts the previous interpretation above. In order to better understand the type of mummification used to embalm these bodies, both wrapped mummies were reinvestigated using new generation X-ray imaging and chemical microanalyses Here we provide evidence that both individuals underwent a relatively high quality of mummification, fundamentally contradicting previous understanding. Elucidated “recipes”, whose components had anti-bacterial and anti-insecticidal properties, were used to treat their bodies. The time and effort undoubtedly employed to embalm both Kha and Merit and the use of imported costly resins, notably Pistacia, do not support the previously held view that the two individuals were poorly mummified. Despite a lack of evisceration, the approach clearly allowed their in situ preservation as well as affording a fairly successful mummification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffaella Bianucci
- Department of Public Health and Paediatric Sciences, Legal Medicine Section, Laboratory of Physical Anthropology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Laboratoire d’Anthropologie bio-culturelle, Droit, Etique & Santé (Adés), Faculté de Médecine de Marseille, Marseille, France
| | - Michael E. Habicht
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Roger Seiler
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lena M. Öhrström
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Eleni Vassilika
- Fondazione Museo delle Antichità Egizie di Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Thomas Böni
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Frank J. Rühli
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
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Oxilia G, Peresani M, Romandini M, Matteucci C, Spiteri CD, Henry AG, Schulz D, Archer W, Crezzini J, Boschin F, Boscato P, Jaouen K, Dogandzic T, Broglio A, Moggi-Cecchi J, Fiorenza L, Hublin JJ, Kullmer O, Benazzi S. Earliest evidence of dental caries manipulation in the Late Upper Palaeolithic. Sci Rep 2015; 5:12150. [PMID: 26179739 PMCID: PMC4504065 DOI: 10.1038/srep12150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2015] [Accepted: 06/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Prehistoric dental treatments were extremely rare, and the few documented cases are known from the Neolithic, when the adoption of early farming culture caused an increase of carious lesions. Here we report the earliest evidence of dental caries intervention on a Late Upper Palaeolithic modern human specimen (Villabruna) from a burial in Northern Italy. Using Scanning Electron Microscopy we show the presence of striations deriving from the manipulation of a large occlusal carious cavity of the lower right third molar. The striations have a “V”-shaped transverse section and several parallel micro-scratches at their base, as typically displayed by cutmarks on teeth. Based on in vitro experimental replication and a complete functional reconstruction of the Villabruna dental arches, we confirm that the identified striations and the associated extensive enamel chipping on the mesial wall of the cavity were produced ante-mortem by pointed flint tools during scratching and levering activities. The Villabruna specimen is therefore the oldest known evidence of dental caries intervention, suggesting at least some knowledge of disease treatment well before the Neolithic. This study suggests that primitive forms of carious treatment in human evolution entail an adaptation of the well-known toothpicking for levering and scratching rather than drilling practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregorio Oxilia
- 1] Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via del Proconsolo, 12, 50122 Firenze, Italy [2] Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Via degli Ariani 1, 48121 Ravenna, Italy [3] Sezione di Scienze Preistoriche e Antropologiche, Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici, Corso Ercole I d'Este 32, Università di Ferrara, 44100 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Marco Peresani
- Sezione di Scienze Preistoriche e Antropologiche, Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici, Corso Ercole I d'Este 32, Università di Ferrara, 44100 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Matteo Romandini
- Sezione di Scienze Preistoriche e Antropologiche, Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici, Corso Ercole I d'Este 32, Università di Ferrara, 44100 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Chiara Matteucci
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Via degli Ariani 1, 48121 Ravenna, Italy
| | - Cynthianne Debono Spiteri
- 1] Plant Foods in Hominin Dietary Ecology Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany [2] Institut für Ur- und Frühgeschichte und Archäologie des Mittelaters, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Schloss Hohentübingen, 72070 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Amanda G Henry
- 1] Plant Foods in Hominin Dietary Ecology Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany [2] Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Dieter Schulz
- Dental Workshop Bensheim, Private Laboratory for Training, Research and Methods, Siegfriedstraße 104, 64646 Heppenheim, Germany
| | - Will Archer
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jacopo Crezzini
- 1] CeSQ, Centro Studi sul Quaternario ONLUS., Via Nuova dell'Ammazzatoio 7, I-52037 Sansepolcro (Arezzo), Italy [2] Università degli Studi di Siena, Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, della Terra e dell'Ambiente, Unità di Ricerca Preistoria e Antropologia, Via Laterina 8, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Francesco Boschin
- 1] CeSQ, Centro Studi sul Quaternario ONLUS., Via Nuova dell'Ammazzatoio 7, I-52037 Sansepolcro (Arezzo), Italy [2] Università degli Studi di Siena, Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, della Terra e dell'Ambiente, Unità di Ricerca Preistoria e Antropologia, Via Laterina 8, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Paolo Boscato
- Università degli Studi di Siena, Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, della Terra e dell'Ambiente, Unità di Ricerca Preistoria e Antropologia, Via Laterina 8, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Klervia Jaouen
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tamara Dogandzic
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Alberto Broglio
- Sezione di Scienze Preistoriche e Antropologiche, Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici, Corso Ercole I d'Este 32, Università di Ferrara, 44100 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Jacopo Moggi-Cecchi
- 1] Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via del Proconsolo, 12, 50122 Firenze, Italy [2] Università degli Studi di Siena, Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, della Terra e dell'Ambiente, Unità di Ricerca Preistoria e Antropologia, Via Laterina 8, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Luca Fiorenza
- 1] Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University,Melbourne VIC 3800, Australia [2] Earth Sciences, University of New England, Armidale NSW 2351, Australia
| | - Jean-Jacques Hublin
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ottmar Kullmer
- Senckenberg Research Institute, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Stefano Benazzi
- 1] Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Via degli Ariani 1, 48121 Ravenna, Italy [2] Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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Mummifying-balm recipe is older than the pharaohs. Nature 2014. [DOI: 10.1038/nature.2014.15717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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