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Earliest evidence of smoke-dried mummification: More than 10,000 years ago in southern China and Southeast Asia.

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Title: Earliest evidence of smoke-dried mummification: More than 10,000 years ago in southern China and Southeast Asia.
Authors: Hung, Hsiao-chun1 hsiao-chun.hung@anu.edu.au, Deng, Zhenhua2,3 zhenhuadeng@pku.edu.cn, Liu, Yiheng2,3, Ran, Zhiyu2,3, Zhang, Yue1, Li, Zhen4, Kaifu, Yousuke5, Huang, Qiang6, Nguyen, Khanh Trung Kien7, Le, Hai Dang8, Xie, Guangmao4,9, Nguyen, Anh Tuan8, Yamagata, Mariko10, Simanjuntak, Truman11, Noerwidi, Sofwan12, Fauzi, Mohammad Ruly12, Tolla, Marlin12, Wetipo, Alpius13, He, Gang14, Sawada, Junmei15
Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 9/23/2025, Vol. 122 Issue 38, p1-12. 12p.
Subjects: Mummification, Archaeology, Pleistocene Epoch, Hunter-gatherer societies, Interment, Holocene Epoch
Geographic Terms: China, Southeast Asia
Abstract: In southern China and Southeast Asia (collectively, Southeastern Asia), Terminal Pleistocene and Early to Middle Holocene (ca. 12,000 to 4,000 cal. BP) hunter-gatherer burials feature tightly crouched or squatting postures, sometimes with indications of post-mortem dismemberment. Such burials contrast strongly with the extended supine burial postures typical of subsequent Neolithic inhumations in these regions. Their contorted postures, often with traces of burning, present interpretive challenges. This study uses multiple techniques, including X-ray diffraction and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, to investigate 54 pre-Neolithic burials from 11 archaeological sites located across Southeastern Asia. The findings confirm that many of these pre-Neolithic flexed and squatting burials were treated by an extended period of smoke-drying over fire, a process of mummification similar to that recorded ethnographically in some Australian and Highland New Guinea societies. Some of the analyzed archaeological samples represent the oldest known instances of such artificial mummification in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America is the property of National Academy of Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Engineering Source
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DbLabel: Engineering Source
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PubType: Academic Journal
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  Data: Earliest evidence of smoke-dried mummification: More than 10,000 years ago in southern China and Southeast Asia.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Hung%2C+Hsiao-chun%22">Hung, Hsiao-chun</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><i> hsiao-chun.hung@anu.edu.au</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Deng%2C+Zhenhua%22">Deng, Zhenhua</searchLink><relatesTo>2,3</relatesTo><i> zhenhuadeng@pku.edu.cn</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Liu%2C+Yiheng%22">Liu, Yiheng</searchLink><relatesTo>2,3</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ran%2C+Zhiyu%22">Ran, Zhiyu</searchLink><relatesTo>2,3</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Zhang%2C+Yue%22">Zhang, Yue</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Li%2C+Zhen%22">Li, Zhen</searchLink><relatesTo>4</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Kaifu%2C+Yousuke%22">Kaifu, Yousuke</searchLink><relatesTo>5</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Huang%2C+Qiang%22">Huang, Qiang</searchLink><relatesTo>6</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Nguyen%2C+Khanh+Trung+Kien%22">Nguyen, Khanh Trung Kien</searchLink><relatesTo>7</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Le%2C+Hai+Dang%22">Le, Hai Dang</searchLink><relatesTo>8</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Xie%2C+Guangmao%22">Xie, Guangmao</searchLink><relatesTo>4,9</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Nguyen%2C+Anh+Tuan%22">Nguyen, Anh Tuan</searchLink><relatesTo>8</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Yamagata%2C+Mariko%22">Yamagata, Mariko</searchLink><relatesTo>10</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Simanjuntak%2C+Truman%22">Simanjuntak, Truman</searchLink><relatesTo>11</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Noerwidi%2C+Sofwan%22">Noerwidi, Sofwan</searchLink><relatesTo>12</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Fauzi%2C+Mohammad+Ruly%22">Fauzi, Mohammad Ruly</searchLink><relatesTo>12</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Tolla%2C+Marlin%22">Tolla, Marlin</searchLink><relatesTo>12</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Wetipo%2C+Alpius%22">Wetipo, Alpius</searchLink><relatesTo>13</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22He%2C+Gang%22">He, Gang</searchLink><relatesTo>14</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Sawada%2C+Junmei%22">Sawada, Junmei</searchLink><relatesTo>15</relatesTo>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Proceedings+of+the+National+Academy+of+Sciences+of+the+United+States+of+America%22">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America</searchLink>. 9/23/2025, Vol. 122 Issue 38, p1-12. 12p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mummification%22">Mummification</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Archaeology%22">Archaeology</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pleistocene+Epoch%22">Pleistocene Epoch</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Hunter-gatherer+societies%22">Hunter-gatherer societies</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Interment%22">Interment</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Holocene+Epoch%22">Holocene Epoch</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22China%22">China</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Southeast+Asia%22">Southeast Asia</searchLink>
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  Data: In southern China and Southeast Asia (collectively, Southeastern Asia), Terminal Pleistocene and Early to Middle Holocene (ca. 12,000 to 4,000 cal. BP) hunter-gatherer burials feature tightly crouched or squatting postures, sometimes with indications of post-mortem dismemberment. Such burials contrast strongly with the extended supine burial postures typical of subsequent Neolithic inhumations in these regions. Their contorted postures, often with traces of burning, present interpretive challenges. This study uses multiple techniques, including X-ray diffraction and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, to investigate 54 pre-Neolithic burials from 11 archaeological sites located across Southeastern Asia. The findings confirm that many of these pre-Neolithic flexed and squatting burials were treated by an extended period of smoke-drying over fire, a process of mummification similar to that recorded ethnographically in some Australian and Highland New Guinea societies. Some of the analyzed archaeological samples represent the oldest known instances of such artificial mummification in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America is the property of National Academy of Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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        Value: 10.1073/pnas.2515103122
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        Text: English
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      – SubjectFull: Mummification
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      – SubjectFull: Pleistocene Epoch
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      – SubjectFull: China
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      – SubjectFull: Southeast Asia
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