The unknown mummy found in a tomb in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt may be the most beautiful princess in the history of ancient Egypt

The ancient Egyptians believed that human life would continue after death. The intact body is believed to be a necessary place for the soul to reside in the afterlife. Therefore, they were as concerned about preserving the body after death as they were about maintaining good health during life. Mummification is a unique tradition of ancient Egypt and a special legacy left by ancient Egyptian civilization to future generations.

The technology of making mummies has been gradually accumulated and improved during long-term practice. The ancient Egyptians left no records of mummification methods for future generations. Therefore, uncovering the secrets of mummification has become the research focus of many scientists. Recently, researchers at Texas A&M University in the United States claimed that they had uncovered the secrets of mummies.

American scientists have uncovered the secret that prevented corpses from decomposing more than 3,000 years ago.

Researchers at Texas A&M University in the United States studied ancient Egyptian mummies and uncovered the secret of preventing corpses from decaying more than 3,000 years ago.

Researchers Marlon Kennicutt, Mengku Kim and Qian Yaorong (transliteration) in the School of Earth Sciences at A&M University, together with colleagues at Alexandria University, discovered that Egyptians thousands of years ago The corpses were mummified using tar extracted from oil obtained from the Middle East to prevent decay and preserve them permanently. The findings by researchers at A&M University were published in the latest issue of the journal Geoarchaeology.

Kennicutt and his colleagues studied the area near the Suez Canal and found that glass factories in the area also used tar to burn fires. "The tar used by the Egyptians contains molecular 'fingerprints' that can reveal interesting information," Kennicutt explains.

"First, we can see that it is well preserved from 900 B.C. Tar molecular 'fingerprints' were extracted from the mummies, and these 'fingerprints' were compared with known oil spills to determine the source of the tar. Moreover, the Egyptians apparently found that treating mummies with tar helped preserve the bodies. The tar acted as a natural water seal (waterproof), and the moisture that would destroy the body had little or no ability to penetrate the packaging material."

"At that time, the Egyptians were more capable than anyone else in the world. People in the region knew better how to mummify corpses, and the use of natural tar was obviously an important procedure in their preservation work.”

The tar used by the ancient Egyptians to make mummies came from the Gulf of Suez, hundreds of miles away. .

The use of tar for water sealing was also found on the Gulf Coast of Texas, where native Indians used tar to smear canoes and boats to waterproof them, Kennicutt said. However, tar was known to the Egyptians It took more than 2,000 years for the Indians to master this technology, which also shows how smart the ancient Egyptians were.

Kennicutt added: "Another interesting thing we know is that some of the tar used by the Egyptians did not come from nearby areas, but came from another source hundreds of miles away. place, that's the Gulf of Suez area. That means they had similar trade routes to today, and they were transporting tar to different areas around Egypt, so this trade route may have been established earlier than we think." The team will find more by studying those areas, where natural tar still exists. Glass shards confirmed that glassmaking was highly skilled in that area. Kennicutt also said natural tar and bitumen were also found in the Ras Zafarana area of ??the Suez Canal.

Kennicutt said: "We need to study some of the trade routes at that time, and we may also find other interesting information, such as how the Egyptians used tar so many years ago. How trade was carried out."

The ancient Egyptians like to record history, but the method of making mummies has always been a secret.

This new discovery by American researchers has once again made mummies the focus of people's attention, because ancient Egyptians like to record history, and all temples and tombs are full of paintings of Egyptian gods and pharaohs' military exploits. , and all kinds of small and big things, even the cats and dogs in the deceased's home will be painted. However, in so many historical records, the method of making mummies has never been found.

A mummy is a corpse preserved by coating it with spices. Some people say that the method of making mummies is a secret that cannot be recorded and can only be taught orally. Therefore, when those technicians and skills gradually disappear, no one knows how to make mummies anymore.

Herodotus and Diodorus once talked about what they heard in their works. With the advancement of science and technology and the deepening of relevant research, the mummification process gradually became clear. . But until now, we only know that when the ancient Egyptians made mummies, the makers first sucked out the brain marrow through the nasal cavity and injected drugs to clean the brain. Then an incision was made in the abdomen, and organs such as the lungs, stomach, and intestines were taken out, leaving the heart in the body. Then wash the body cavity with coconut wine and mashed spices, fill it with resin, resin-soaked linen and sawdust, and sew it up as it is.

All corpses need to be buried in sodium oxide and dried.

After 70 days, the craftsman took out the body, cleaned it, applied ointment and spices, wrapped it tightly in a large amount of linen, and coated the outside with resin. When bandaging, start from the fingers and toes, to the limbs and the whole body. During this period, special care should be taken to prevent the nails from falling off. The incision in the abdomen was covered with a lid, which symbolized Horas's "intact glasses". The mummy wrapped in this way retains its pre-dehydration shape. Some mummies have special masks on their heads, which closely resemble the appearance of the deceased in life.

The wrapping technology of mummies reached its peak in the Twenty-second Dynasty, and the production costs were different for nobles and poor people.

All the removed organs will be stored separately, except for the heart, which will not be removed but will be left in the body. The reason is that the ancient Egyptians believed that the heart would be weighed on a scale by the jackal god Anubis to measure his good and evil in the world. For this reason, the Egyptians would also put many heart-shaped amulets on mummies' bodies to prevent the heart from inadvertently revealing some inappropriate secrets. The mummy dressing technology reached its peak in the Twenty-Second Dynasty. At that time, the body's internal organs are processed and reinserted into the body.

Of course, mummification takes a long time and is expensive. In addition to requiring various medicines, spices, evil spirits, amulets, etc., just wrapping one body sometimes requires more than 1,000 meters of high-quality linen. Therefore, only kings, their relatives, nobles and rich people can afford to spend money. The poor can only do it simply or even hastily, which can be completed in only a few days. The production of royal mummies can take several months.

Human beings’ sense of mystery about mummies has not changed from the Middle Ages to the present. During the Renaissance, people ground unearthed mummies into medicinal powder and believed that it had magical benefits for health. Today, the mummy has become the favorite plot of movie stars, directors and audiences. It is how the mummy takes revenge on those who disturb its peace. Human beings may still have a sense of mystery about mummies for a long time.