Scientists discover 'smoke-dried' mummies that could be world's oldest

Human remains, estimated to be 4,000 to 12,000 years old, were found in southeastern Asia

This undated combination photo provided by Hirofumi Matsumura shows a crouched mummy in Guangxi, China, with burn marks on its skull. AP

Scientists may have found what are thought to be the world's oldest mummies in southeastern Asia.

A study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences claims that the mummies could be 4,000 to 12,000 years old.

The finding documents smoke-dried mummification of the dead, mostly in tightly bound crouched postures, across a vast region encompassing southeastern Asia, southern China and beyond.

Seven of Egypt's most famous mummies and their incredible histories

Read More

The human remains discovered show some cuts and burn marks. According to scientists, the bodies were probably smoke-dried over a fire and mummified by hunter-gatherer communities in the area.

To assess potential heat exposure in the skeletal remains, X-ray diffraction analysis was conducted on 20 archaeological bone samples from sites in Vietnam. The technique is particularly effective in detecting high-temperature thermal alterations.

This undated photo provided by Hirofumi Matsumura shows a 9,000-year-old mummy in Guangxi, China, in a squatting position. AP

The oldest of these newly-discovered burials predate the mummification associated with the Chinchorro culture, approximately 7,000 years ago in northern Chile, and Ancient Egypt, approximately 4,500 years ago.

Mummification is the process of preserving a dead body by preventing decay. The methods of embalming or treating a body were most famously used by Egyptians. The process involved removing all moisture, leaving only a dried form that would not easily decay.

Natural mummification involves preservation by environment through processes like desiccation in hot and dry climates or freeze-drying in extreme cold.