People Used to Drink Wine Made From Ground-Up Mummies. Now, Scientists Are Studying It

Scientists can now chemically link historical powdered medicines to specific human remains and analyze their composition.

Scientists have analyzed historical "mummy wine," a medicinal concoction popular centuries ago, by examining its chemical composition. This substance, known as Mumia vera aegyptiaca, was created by grinding up human mummies, often Egyptian, and mixing the residue with wine or other liquids. It was believed to have therapeutic benefits and was traded in Arabic and European markets for hundreds of years. Researchers analyzed various Mumia vera products, including powdered samples, mummified remains, embalming residues, and bandages. Their findings revealed a diverse range of formulations, with at least one powdered sample being chemically linked to a specific mummified head. This study demonstrates how historical texts, material culture, and molecular analysis can be combined to understand ancient medicines and the biographies of human remains.

This research showcases the power of interdisciplinary analysis, merging historical records and material science with advanced molecular techniques. By dissecting the chemical makeup of ancient remedies like mummy wine, scientists can not only decode the practices of past cultures but also reconstruct the 'material biographies' of objects and human remains found in museum collections or archaeological sites. This approach offers new avenues for understanding historical pharmacology and the provenance of artifacts.

The study's success in chemically identifying the origin of a historical medicinal powder highlights a significant advance in authentication and provenance research for historical materials. It suggests that similar methodologies could be applied to a wide array of historical artifacts, potentially resolving debates about their origin or authenticity and providing invaluable data for understanding ancient trade, craftsmanship, and medicinal practices across different regions.