What is the oldest mummy ever found, and where was it found?

Hi.

I'm doing some mummy and fossils research, and I've read in a fiction book (well, it said that it was based on a real story!) that the oldest ever mummy to be found originated somewhere around 9000 (!!) years ago. There's a whole lot of mystery behind it, since it seems to be burried with jems that were originated half way across the planet - which could indicate a nation of seamen. Something we don't often get to hear during 9000-years-ago-history lessons, if you get my drift.

This is really important for my research, but I have no clue as to where to begin - so please, if anyone has any material about this - I could use some help!

thanks!

G'Day Moriel

It may depend on what you consider to be a 'mummy'. There are numerous mumified bodies from the pre-dynastic period in Egypt. The bodies were simply buried in the dry sand on the edge of the desert, and have been preserved by simple desication. The Pre-dynastic period is usually dated at 5000 - 3100 BC, so some of the earliest examples could be ~ 7000 years old. Formal mumification (bandages, oils, desicating agents, organ removal, etc.) is a later development, I think it dates from the early dynastic period (~ 3100 BC), say 5000 years ago.

Other cultures living in or near deserts have practiced mumification, such as various Peruvian cultures, and there are even some mummies from one of the Atlantic Island (the Canary islands, if I remember correctly). However, I do not think any of them would go back as far as the Egyptians. I would be very suspicious of 'it said that it was based on a real story'

I think most of the examples of pre-dynasitic mummies were found in Upper Egypt, the Nile delta would probably be too wet for preservation. The burial of grave-goods was common from the earliest pre-dynastic burials, and they were often high-status items in the richest examples. Finely-worked articles and imported luxury items have been found, and jewelry of various kinds were also common. A web-search on mummies or mumification would probably produce 100,000 hits, but you could try refining it with 'pre-dynastic' or '9000 years'.

However, arguably the oldest 'mummy' is a mummified dinousaur found last century in the USA. The animal (a hadrosaur if memeory serves) had died in a desert and was desicated before burial. Casts of the dried skin were found attached to the bones. If you are interested I could look up the details, but a search on 'mumified dinosaurs' may pick it up more quickly.

Regards Paul

[big snip] I thought it was a fossil of a mummy. Not a mummy in which actual tissues were preserved. I mean, the carcass was first naturally mummified and then undergone fossilisation, i.e., mineralisation of the tissues. I may be wrong though.

What about Maiasaurus? apparently she was an excellent mummy...

Sorry, but someone had to say it & get it over with