Papageorgopoulou Christina, Shved Natallia, Wanek Johann, Rühli Frank J
Department of History and Ethnology, Laboratory of Anthropology, Demokritus University of Thrace, Komotini, Greece.
Swiss Mummy Project, Centre for Evolutionary Medicine, Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland.
Anat Rec (Hoboken). 2015 Jun;298(6):974-87. doi: 10.1002/ar.23134.
Many studies have been concerned with the ancient Egyptian mummification method; nevertheless, little effort has been made to explore it experimentally. The goal of this study is to apply evidence-based diagnostic criteria and state-of-the art methodology in order to improve knowledge on soft tissues preservation and postmortem alterations. Two human lower limbs (LL) from a female donor were (1) "naturally" mummified by dry heat and (2) artificially in natron. At specific time intervals a macroscopic and radiological examination of the LL was performed and skin and muscle samples were taken for histological and biomolecular analysis. Temperature, humidity, pH, and weight of the LL were systematically measured. The mummification by dry heat was stopped after 7 days due to unexpected lack of mummification progress. The mummification in natron was completed successfully after 208 days. The humidity, the external temperature, and the pH were proven with Pearson correlation and principal component analysis as important factors for the mummification process. The steady removal of water from the tissues through the natron has prevented the putrefaction. This is also evident in the absence of bacteria or fungi through the microbiological analysis. The histological analysis revealed very good preservation of the skin and the muscle tissues. In the muscular sample certain degree of structural disintegration can be seen, particularly affecting the epimysium whilst in the skin samples the epidermis, especially the stratum corneum, is mostly affected. The samples show better preservation compared with ancient Egyptian sections and other mummified tissues from historic or forensic context.
许多研究都关注古埃及的木乃伊制作方法；然而，通过实验探索该方法的努力却很少。本研究的目的是应用循证诊断标准和先进的方法，以增进对软组织保存和死后变化的了解。取自一名女性捐赠者的两条人类下肢（LL），(1) 通过干热 “自然” 制成木乃伊，(2) 人工置于泡碱中制成木乃伊。在特定时间间隔对下肢进行宏观和放射学检查，并采集皮肤和肌肉样本进行组织学和生物分子分析。系统测量下肢的温度、湿度、pH值和重量。由于意外缺乏木乃伊化进展，干热木乃伊化在7天后停止。泡碱木乃伊化在208天后成功完成。通过Pearson相关性分析和主成分分析证明，湿度、外部温度和pH值是木乃伊化过程的重要因素。通过泡碱使组织中的水分稳定去除，从而防止了腐败。微生物分析表明不存在细菌或真菌，这一点也很明显。组织学分析显示皮肤和肌肉组织保存得非常好。在肌肉样本中可以看到一定程度的结构解体，特别是影响肌外膜，而在皮肤样本中，表皮，尤其是角质层，受影响最大。与古埃及切片以及历史或法医背景下的其他木乃伊化组织相比，这些样本保存得更好。
