the British Museum published the results of a research of mysterious black liquid, which was found in the sarcophagus of the ancient Egyptian priest by the name of Cethosia-EF-Ankh in the other coffins.
In 2018 in Egypt have unearthed an unusual black sarcophagus. It was tightly sealed with mortar. Inside were the remains of two men and the woman floating in a strange liquid. She was sent to study.
Now presents the results obtained by the group headed by Dr. Keith Fulcher. She noted that the black liquid for scientists is not a sensation. It remains, sometimes, in the dried species was found previously. In 2018, the interest in the discovery has fueled an unusual black color of the sarcophagus. It turned out that it was covered with a special solution.
Experts of the British Museum analyzed more than 100 samples of the “black goo” of 12 sarcophagi Dating from the XXII dynasty of the pharaohs (900-750 BCE). Among them was a sarcophagus, Jethani-EF-Ankh, who died almost 3,000 years ago. He was a priest in the temple of Amun at Karnak.
After his death his body was mummified, wrapped in fine linen and placed it in a case made of plaster and linen. It has been beautifully painted in bright colors, but the face was covered with gold leaf. The case was put in the sarcophagus and poured several liters of warm black sticky substance. It was supposed to harden and “protect” box. Then the coffin covered with a lid and left in the tomb.
the Liquid from this and the other sarcophagi were examined using gas chromatography. In special tube it is divided into molecules, which then enters the mass spectrometer. This allowed us to determine the chemical composition.
“Slime” consisting of vegetable oil, animal fat, tree SAP, beeswax and bitumen, – writes Fulcher. – The exact proportions are not, they vary in different coffins, but “slime” were always made from these ingredients. Perhaps there were other ingredients that we can’t detect because they evaporated or 3,000 years degraded to undetectable levels.”
Some of the ingredients are found only outside of Egypt, which indicates their import. So, resin was obtained from the pistachio tree and conifers. Earlier amphorae with remains of pistachio resin was discovered at Amarna, the ancient Egyptian capital from 1347 to 1332 BC, the same resin was found in the amphorae on the ship of the same period, which sank off the coast of modern Turkey.
Analysis of amphorae showed that they were made in the area of Haifa in modern Israel, where, probably, was collected and the resin. As for pine tar, it, apparently, was imported from the territory of modern Lebanon.
Bitumen Egyptians imported from areas of the Dead sea. In ancient Greek texts include description�� how people are coming to the lumps of bitumen floating on the surface of the Dead sea, to cut them to pieces and sell in Egypt.
the Black liquid was used at different stages of the burial process. It not only placed inside the sarcophagus, but daubed her case or coffin outside. Researchers believe that this tradition was associated with the God Osiris, whose cult was especially popular during the XXII dynasty.
He symbolized death and rebirth. In ancient Egyptian texts this God is often called “black,” and on ancient paintings, he often depicted in the form of a mummy black colour. When someone died, it was said of him that he was an incarnation of Osiris.
in addition, the Nile was a sacred river. Every year after the flood on the shores of remained sludge of black color which formed a fertile soil, which was considered magical and life-giving. In the tombs, archaeologists have found made in the form of Osiris clay and wooden forms that were filled in this sludge sprouted seeds. It also shows the connection of black with the cult of Osiris.
