Mummies found in southeast Asia could be world's oldest, scientists say

Scientists person recovered what could beryllium the world's oldest known mummies successful southeast Asia, with immoderate of the preserved remains believed to day backmost 12,000 years.

Researchers recovered quality remains that were buried successful crouched oregon squatted positions with immoderate cuts and pain marks successful assorted archaeological sites crossed China and Vietnam.

Other remains were recovered successful the Philippines, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

In a survey published successful the diary Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, scientists revealed the bodies were apt exposed to vigor and suggested they had been smoke-dried implicit a occurrence and mummified.

Study writer Hirofumi Matsumura, with Sapporo Medical University successful Japan, said the signifier "allowed radical to prolong carnal and spiritual connections with their ancestors, bridging clip and memory".

While mummification tin hap people successful places wherever conditions tin halt decomposition, assorted cultures besides mummified their ancestors done embalming to honour them oregon nonstop their souls to the afterlife.

Egyptian mummies are the astir well-known, but immoderate of the oldest known mummies were prepared by a sportfishing radical called the Chinchorro astir 7,000 years agone successful what is present Peru and Chile.

In modern times, indigenous communities successful Australia and Papua New Guinea besides smoke-dry and mummify their dead.

Read more:
Ancient Egyptian mummies odor 'sweet' and 'spicy'
Egyptian mummy's look whitethorn beryllium caused by uncommon event

Rita Peyroteo Stjerna, a quality improvement adept with Uppsala University successful Sweden, who was not progressive successful the probe published connected Monday, expressed immoderate doubts astir the study, saying that the dating methods utilized could person been much robust.

She added it was not yet wide that mummies were consistently smoke-dried crossed the locations successful southeastern Asia, but added successful an email to the Associated Press that the findings connection "an important publication to the survey of prehistoric funerary practices".