Following the death of archaeologist Manuel Faringa dos Santos, three films containing photographs from excavations in Portugal’s Sado Valley were discovered among his personal belongings. The photographs were of excellent quality and allowed a team of archaeologists to carry out an archaeological analysis of ancient funerary practices. Thus, although the corpses had no soft tissue, they are categorized as the oldest specimens of mummification in the world, surpassing the Egyptians by a few thousand years.
Specifically, the corpses date back to 8,000 years ago during the Mesolithic period and are the first evidence of mummification in Europe at that time. To date, the oldest evidence of mummification we have is 7,000 years ago in the Atacama Desert of Chile. The world famous mummies of Egypt date back 5,600 years.
But no matter how well a corpse is mummified, it wears out over time and the soft tissue is difficult to maintain for so many years. Archaeologists in this case have identified that this is a ritual mummification and not by chance, due to the posture of the dead and their transport to specific places.
Combined with a study of human decomposition in different postures, the researchers were able to distinguish cases where there was mummification. The analysis showed that the corpses were buried in an embryonic position with the knees resting on the chest. The absence of dislocations as the joint ligaments loosened indicates that as the skin receded, soil entered the joints and supported the bones to prevent dislocation.
The results show that deliberate mummification was a much more widespread practice worldwide, and the researchers hope that their findings will provide information on how archaeological excavations should be carried out in the future.
The research was published in European Journal of Archeology.
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