Biomolecular characterization o 3500-year-old ancient Egyptian mummifcation balms rom the Valley o the Kings By Robert Spengler and Bárbara Huber

https://www.academia.edu/127259462/Biomolecular_characterization_o_3500_year_old_ancient_Egyptian_mummifcation_balms_rom_the_Valley_o_the_Kings?nav_from=14c427b4-f782-4668-9c90-11f63c1b869e Ancient Egyptian mummifcation was practiced or nearly 4000 years as a key eature o some o the most complex mortuary practices documented in the archaeological record. Embalming, the preservation o the body and organs o the deceased or the aterlie, was a central component o the Egyptian mummifcation process. Here, we combine GC-MS, HT-GC-MS, and LC-MS/MS analyses to examine mummifcation balms excavated more than a century ago by Howard Carter rom Tomb KV42 in the Valley o the Kings. Balm residues were scraped rom now empty canopic jars that once contained the mummifed organs o the noble lady Senetnay, dating to the 18th dynasty, ca. 1450 BCE. Our analysis revealed balms consisting o beeswax, plant oil, ats, bitumen, Pinaceae resins, a balsamic substance, and dammar or Pistacia tree resin. These are the richest, most complex balms yet identifed or this early time period and they shed light on balm ingredients or which there is limited inormation in Egyptian textual sources. They highlight both the exceptional status o Senetnay and the myriad trade connections o the Egyptians in the 2nd millennium BCE. They urther illustrate the excellent preservation possible even or organic remains long removed rom their original archaeological context.