BANGKOK: Ancient societies across China and Southeast Asia developed smoke-drying techniques for preserving their dead thousands of years earlier than Egyptian mummification practices.
New research indicates these communities created what might be the world’s oldest known mummies through smoke-drying methods rather than the bandage-based preservation associated with ancient Egypt.
While Egyptian mummies date back approximately 4,500 years and Chilean mummies represent the previously oldest known examples, these newly discovered Asian specimens predate both by several millennia.
Researchers recovered bodies primarily from humid regions across China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, contrasting with the dry conditions that facilitated natural mummification in Chile’s Atacama coastline.
Scientists initially became intrigued by the contorted positions of skeletons discovered at various burial sites throughout these Asian locations.
The remains showed scorch marks in specific patterns that appeared inconsistent with cremation attempts, suggesting deliberate preservation techniques rather than accidental burning.
Researchers theorised that the contorted burial positions became possible because the bodies lacked soft tissue, indicating successful mummification through drying processes similar to those still practiced in parts of Indonesia’s Papua region.
Laboratory analysis compared bone samples from these sites against control samples from ancient Japanese burial sites, revealing evidence of exposure to mostly low-temperature heat.
The intact nature of the skeletons confirmed that cremation was never attempted, with preservation being the primary objective of these ancient practices.
Some samples date back more than 10,000 years, indicating that societies practiced forms of mummification thousands of years earlier than previously documented in historical records.
Hsiao-chun Hung, senior research fellow at Australian National University, described the findings as a great surprise given the extreme age of the bones.
Hung emphasised the remarkable discovery connecting ancient practices with contemporary traditions still found in some communities today.
Scientists concluded that smoking represented the most effective option for preserving corpses in tropical climates where natural drying proved impossible.
The process also held significant cultural importance beyond mere preservation, serving spiritual and emotional functions within these ancient societies.
Several societies in Indonesia and Australia historically smoke-dried bodies by binding them tightly and placing them above continuously burning fires for several months.
This practice allowed relatives to maintain contact with deceased loved ones while providing spiritual comfort through beliefs that spirits could roam freely during daylight hours.
Some cultures believed the smoke-drying process enabled spirits to return to their preserved bodies each night, maintaining a connection between the physical and spiritual worlds.
Hung expressed that these practices reflect something deeply human—the timeless wish that loved ones might never leave but remain present forever.
Researchers theorise that smoke-drying may have been common across ancient Asian civilizations, representing a widespread tradition among hunter-gatherer societies.
The study authors suggest this tradition may have been known across vast regions for many millennia, challenging previous assumptions about ancient preservation practices.
These groundbreaking findings appear in the latest edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal, published on Monday. – AFP