Biomolecular characterization of 3500-year-old ancient Egyptian mummification balms from the Valley of the Kings
File version
Version of Record (VoR)
Author(s)
Hammann, S
Loeben, CE
Jha, DK
Vassao, DG
Larsen, T
Spengler, RN
Fuller, DQ
Roberts, P
Deviese, T
Boivin, N
Griffith University Author(s)
Primary Supervisor
Other Supervisors
Editor(s)
Date
Size
File type(s)
Location
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.
Journal Title
Scientific Reports
Conference Title
Book Title
Edition
Volume
13
Issue
Thesis Type
Degree Program
School
Publisher link
Patent number
Funder(s)
Grant identifier(s)
Rights Statement
Rights Statement
© The Author(s) 2023. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
Item Access Status
Note
Access the data
Related item(s)
Subject
Archaeology
Archaeology of Asia, Africa and the Americas
Science & Technology
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Science & Technology - Other Topics
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY/MASS SPECTROMETRY
MOLECULAR ARCHAEOLOGY
Persistent link to this record
Citation
Huber, B; Hammann, S; Loeben, CE; Jha, DK; Vassao, DG; Larsen, T; Spengler, RN; Fuller, DQ; Roberts, P; Deviese, T; Boivin, N, Biomolecular characterization of 3500-year-old ancient Egyptian mummification balms from the Valley of the Kings, Scientific Reports, 2023, 13, pp. 12477