The Oldest Mummy in Human History

You'll be surprised by where it was found

When you think about ancient mummies, what is the first thing that springs to mind? Probably the famous Egyptian mummies? Or perhaps Iceman Otzi, a mummy discovered in the Alps in 1991 that is older than most Egyptian mummies. But is Otzi the world’s oldest mummy?

There are a few contenders who are even older than Otzi, with the oldest mummy dating back 9400 years! Let’s start our quest to discover the first mummies in human history. Our adventure begins in Egypt, where mummification began before the rule of the Pharaohs.

Gebelein mummies, Egypt ( over 5400 years old)

EA 32751, a Gebelein mummy formerly known as “ginger”. Image source: Wikimedia

Deep in the desolate Egyptian desert, six ancient mummies lay buried in shallow sand graves, undisturbed for thousands of years. In the late 19th century, a pioneering Egyptologist, Wallis Budge, uncovered these remarkable finds near Gebelein, now known as Naga el-Gherira. They were the first complete pre-dynastic (before the rule of the Pharaoh…