US EditionThe Oldest Mummies in the World May Hail From Southeastern Asia and Date Back 12,000 Years
Archaeologists analyzed 54 burials across Southeast Asia revealing smoke-drying mummification practiced by hunter-gatherers as early as 12,000 years ago, predating known Egyptian and South American mummies.
- Researchers found the oldest evidence of human mummification in Asia, with an arm bone dating to about 14,000 years ago in northern Vietnam.
- The discovery was made after examining 54 crouched burials from 11 locations dated from roughly 12 millennia to 4 millennia in the past, spanning areas of southern China, northern Vietnam, and Sumatra.
- The study revealed that people prepared their dead by positioning bodies over low-temperature fires to dry remains with smoke before burial, a practice sustained by profound love and spiritual devotion.
- Lead author Dr. Hsiao-chun Hung said the findings push back mummification timelines by thousands of years and reflect a timeless human impulse: "families and loved ones might remain together forever."
- These results imply complex burial traditions among hunter-gatherers, revealing an interplay of technique, culture, and belief in pre-Neolithic Southeast Asia.
134 Articles
134 Articles
Archaeologists stunned after finding 'world's oldest mummies' - which predate ancient Egypt by 10,000 YEARS
Mummies dating back 14,000 years, thought to be among the oldest in the world, have been discovered by archaeologists in southeast Asia. The discovery shows how mummification was an enduring tradition among early hunter-gatherer societies - and predates Egyptian mummies by nearly 10,000 years.Burial sites were unearthed throughout southern China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, and predate the Neolithic period.…
Long before the mummies of Egypt, there were already mummification processes. Australian researchers discovered vestigials in 11 archaeological sites in the south of China and in Southeast Asia.
A team of archaeologists has found those who believe that they are the oldest mummies known in various regions of Southeast Asia, with remains of about 14,000 years ago. Texts concerning the possible beliefs of the ancient civilization have not yet been found that explain the reasons for the shrinking postures presented by the corpses. This technique of shrinking the bodies by bending their extremities has been identified in several peoples of A…
A new archaeological study revealed that ancient civilizations of Southeast Asia and China already practiced mummification techniques more than 10,000 years ago.This method used smoke to dry the bodies of the deceased, which allowed their conservation in tropical and humid climate regions.They discovered 3,300-year-old Egyptian whistle used to guard royal tombsThe most well-known mummifications so far were those of Egypt, begun 4,500 years ago, …
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