Ancient Egyptians used to mummify their dead 1,500 years earlier than previously believed, said a study released on Thursday by the Journal of Archaeological Science.
The study also revealed the recipe that was used in mummification.
A battery of forensic chemical tests carried out on a mummy that dated from 3,700-3,500 BC revealed the recipe and confirmed that it was developed far earlier and used more widely than previously thought.
Dr. Stephen Buckley, an archaeologist from the University of York, told BBC News that this mummy "literally embodies the embalming that was at the heart of Egyptian mummification for 4,000 years".
Buckley and his colleagues worked out the chemical "fingerprint" of every ingredient, although each element could have come from a number of sources.
The basic recipe included plant oil, a “balsam-type" plant or root extract that may have come from bulrushes, and a plant-based gum and a conifer tree resin, which was probably pine resin.
When mixed into the oil, that resin would have given it antibacterial properties, protecting the body from decay, said the BBC according to the study.
"Until now, we've not had a prehistoric mummy that has actually demonstrated - so perfectly through the chemistry - the origins of what would become the iconic mummification that we know all about,” Buckley said.
