New Evidence Challenges Dating of First Egyptian Mummies
Mummification is otherwise known as the preserving process that cultures such as the Ancient Egyptians had practiced on dead bodies in order to carry them into the next life. It has been thought to have originated approximately 4,600 years ago or in the year 2,600 B.C. Sources such as the Smithsonian, have maintained that the earliest mummies from prehistoric times were probably accidental and formed naturally from the hot and dry environment of the desert.
However, a recent article from Live Science pointed out an analysis from the science journal “Plos One” that uncovered new evidence which shows mummification was intentionally being practiced by humans using chemical means over a thousands years before the Fourth and Fifth Dynasties, between the years 4500 B.C. and 3100 B.C.. (more…)