New Tech Reveals Origin Of Egyptian Mummies’ Skin Color
Just how much can you learn from the color of a person’s skin? Well, in the case of Egyptian mummies, it is now turning out to be quite a lot. Researchers have worked out a non-intrusive way to map the origins of ancient Egyptian embalming materials, and the composition of the substance that causes deep black coloration of many mummies’ skin is now revealing hitherto unknown geographic data. The study does not say whether these Egyptians were or were not dark skinned naturally, that’s another debate, but according to the latest high-tech analysis, many Egyptian mummies’ deep black skin color not only comes from tar but we now know where that tar came from.
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IMAGE: Researchers analyzed embalming material from the neck of this Ancient Egyptian mummy, which was acquired by a French museum in 1837. view more
Credit: Frédérique Vincent, ethnographic conservator
Ancient Egyptian mummies have many tales to tell, but unlocking their secrets without destroying delicate remains is challenging. Now, researchers reporting in ACS
Analytical Chemistry have found a non-destructive way to analyze bitumen the compound that gives mummies their dark color in Ancient Egyptian embalming materials. The method provides clues to the bitumen s geographic origin and, in one experiment, revealed that a mummy in a French museum could have been partially restored, likely by collectors.