Mummification was considered one of the most important processes used for the preservation of the body through ages in ancient Egypt for long times. Some natural materials were used to achieve the preservation goal. Some of these materials are natural resins which can be used alone as separate or as a mixture with others such as fat, wax, and oils. Some environmental factors (interior or exterior) were affecting these mixture components and lead to its degradation. This study aims to identify the chemical composition by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and explain the deterioration mechanism of some mixture materials used in the preservation process of Late Period mummy. The results revealed that the preservative mixture samples contained resins pine pitch and mastic mixed with some biochemical substances such as fat and wax. The results also showed that the packing of the mummy’s remains in plastic bags led to the presence of phthalate compounds as contaminants. Moreover, the degradation compounds of acetonitrile and 2-amino-n-isopropylbenzamide in the ancient tissue have been demonstrated with the sample taken from the cranial cavity. Additionally, phenanthrene compounds and its derivatives were identified, and this may be due to the use of pine pitch in the embalming mixture.

Graphical abstract

中文翻译：

---

通过GC-MS检测与后期木乃伊一起使用的生化物质的变质

木乃伊被认为是古埃及长期保存人体最重要的过程之一。一些天然材料被用来达到保存目的。这些材料中的一些是天然树脂，可以单独使用或与其他材料混合使用，例如脂肪，蜡和油。一些环境因素（内部或外部）正在影响这些混合物成分并导致其降解。本研究旨在通过气相色谱质谱法（GC / MS）鉴定化学成分，并解释后期木乃伊保存过程中使用的某些混合材料的劣化机理。结果表明，防腐剂混合物样品中含有松脂树脂和乳香树脂以及一些生化物质，例如脂肪和蜡。结果还表明，木乃伊的残留物在塑料袋中的包装导致存在邻苯二甲酸酯化合物作为污染物。此外，从颅腔采集的样本已证明了古代组织中乙腈和2-氨基-正异丙基苯甲酰胺的降解化合物。另外，还鉴定了菲化合物及其衍生物，这可能是由于在防腐混合物中使用了松木沥青。

图形概要