A new study has identified an exotic ingredient, coumarin, which smells similar to vanilla to embalm a noblewoman. Photo/Live Science
CAIRO – People Egypt ancient experts in embalming and creating complicated potions to make wax the dead. A new study has identified an exotic ingredient, coumarin, which smells similar to vanilla to embalm a noblewoman.
Chemical analysis revealed specific components that the ancient Egyptians used to embalm their dead, including exotic materials obtained through trade. The chemical used came from his burial in the Valley of the Kings, a royal burial for pharaohs and other elites.
Archaeologists discovered the mummy of Senetnay, a noblewoman who served as a nurse to Pharaoh Amenhotep II during his infancy around 1450 BC. Next to the mummy, researchers found four lidded jars shaped like a human head which contained his organs, including his lungs and liver.
Although the organs have been lost to time, two jars that are part of the collection at the August Kestner Museum in Germany, were made available to scientists for collecting various samples of chemical substances.
According to research published in the journal Scientific Reports Thursday, August 31, after a chemical analysis the researchers found a complex mixture of ingredients that the ancient Egyptians used to make balsam. Some of them are not native to the area.
Ingredients for embalming such as beeswax, vegetable oils, and animal fats are all common embalming agents. But the researchers also identified coumarin (Coumarin) and benzoic acid in samples taken from both jars of the Senetnay mummy.
Coumarin is a scent similar to vanilla that is found in cinnamon and pea plants. Meanwhile, benzoic acid is found in resins and gums from balsam-like plants.
2023-09-01 08:39:13
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