04 September 2026
Coffin decorations and wall paintings were made with tissue from a broad range of organisms.
Paints on this fragment of an ancient Egyptian mummy coffin include proteins from several mammals and the sesame plant. Credit: Museum of Mediterranean and Near Eastern Antiquities, Stockholm
Ancient Egyptians used body parts from animals ranging from donkeys to antelopes, as well as plant materials, to make art — and sourced ingredients from more species than previously thought1.
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