Scientists have found chemical evidence that Aloe vera or a related plant may have been used in Egyptian mummification, suggesting an ingredient that had escaped earlier studies of ancient embalming materials. The findings point to substances from the aloe plant group, although researchers could not identify the exact species or establish how commonly it was used.
The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, examined 24 objects from German university and museum collections. They included mummy bandages, embalming residues, two mummified skulls, and historical medicinal preparations made from mummy material.
Researchers identified compounds associated with aloe in material from one mummified head and a historical remedy known as Mumia vera aegyptiaca. In the historical remedy, aloeresin A was checked against an authentic reference sample, strengthening the identification. The team also compared its results with fresh aloe plants and preserved extracts about 150 years old.
Aloe vera findings raise new questions about Egyptian mummification
The head containing aloe-related traces was radiocarbon-dated to between 918 and 827 B.C. The researchers found evidence of compounds related to aloin and aloeresins, substances that can help distinguish aloe extracts from other plant materials.
The chemical results prompted a fresh look at ancient Egyptian writings. One term, translated as “life is within it,” describes a dark substance obtained from a plant growing in a foreign coastal area. Other texts connect the substance with treatments for the eyes, nose, and ears, offering a possible connection to residues found around the head.
But the interpretation remains uncertain. The Egyptian term has previously been linked to other plants, and the study does not prove that it meant aloe. Researchers also noted that evidence of aloe plants growing or being used in ancient Egypt remains limited. Earlier chemical methods were less suited to detecting certain aloe compounds, possibly explaining why previous studies missed them.
Conifer resins, mummy powder and influenza tests offer other clues
Conifer resin markers appeared in nearly all samples. Chemical similarities also linked an unidentified powder to a specific mummified head in a German museum.
Mummy materials also became medicines centuries later. In laboratory tests, one historical extract modestly protected cells from damage caused by influenza viruses. Its main isolated compound, however, did not show the same effect. The experiments did not demonstrate a treatment for influenza or validate old medicinal claims.
Aloe-related compounds appeared in just two of the 24 historical objects examined. The researchers said earlier handling or contamination could not be completely excluded, although their laboratory checks argued against a recent source. Further research is needed to learn when, where, and why ancient Egyptian embalmers used them.
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