Residues from embalming vessels cast new light on ancient Egyptian mummification

For over 3000 years ancient Egyptians believed that by preserving their bodies, their souls would live on for eternity. This may explain the lengths they went to in sourcing some of the oils and resins used in the mummification process, according to results from a new chemical analysis of residues recovered from ancient Egyptian embalming vessels. The containers were discovered in a mummification workshop at the ancient site of Saqqara in 2016, and were inscribed with the names of their contents. While some of these names were known to Egyptologists, for the first time chemists have been able to match them to the exact recipes used over 2500 years ago.