The Oldest Mummy in the World Now Changes So Black Mucus Even Appears Agar

A collection of mummies found in Northern Chile some time ago turned into black mucus. More than 100 mummies whose age is approximately 7000 years even turn into jelly. This is attributed to the increase in humidity levels and bacterial colonies that develop. The researchers are wondering how to stop it.

Since the early 1900s, on the coast of South Peru and Northern Chile were found mummies of adults, children, infants and even fetuses of miscarriage. Based on the estimated time of up to 5050 BC, the mummy is among the oldest in the world. They are made by a group of hunters or gatherers known Chinchorro. Chinchorro people made mummies 2000 years before Ancient Egypt did that to Pharaoh.

When the Ancient Egyptians ordered mummification for the elite, Chinchorro did it to everyone, young and old alike. "Chinchorro mummies are not limited to only upper-class corpses. They are very democratic, "said Bernardo Arriaza of the University of Tarapaca.

Launched from nationalgeografic.com, Arriaza suspect contaminated drinking water from nearby volcanoes, triggering the practice of mummification. "Arsenic poisoning can increase the risk of miscarriage and infant death. The sadness of it makes Chinchorro people finally want to preserve that little body, "he said.

"The oldest mummy we found were children," he added.

The reason why these mummies are so durable is that they are buried in the dry sands of the Atacama Desert for thousands of years without even touching the rain in over 400 years.

Several centuries passed, they were eventually excavated and transferred to a local research center for conservation. Beginning in 2015, the mummies began to break down. "We know that these mummies are degrading, but no one understands why. It has not been studied before, "says Ralph Mitchell, a biologist at Harvard.

The tissue analysis on mummies shows that the mummies are surrounded by bacteria. However, it is not an ancient bacterium, but a type of bacteria that lives in human skin. The bacteria accelerate the degradation process. Ralph added, if not able to care for Chunchorro mummies then


microorganisms will continue to 'eat' them.