Botanical Discoveries: Plants Used in Mummifications

Botanical Discoveries: Our mini (or not so mini) episodes covering recent plant related discoveries!

In this episode we go over the 2023 study that was published detailing the 2016 findings of a a 2700-year-old burial complex south of Cairo, Egypt. We discuss the artifacts and what plant matter they contain. We also talk about the significance of the discovery and how it gives us a further understanding of the mummification process and spice trade.

Sources:

• Secrets to making mummies revealed in ancient urns
• Biomolecular analyses enable new insights into ancient Egyptian embalming