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Body parts used for ancient Egyptian artworks traced to surprising source

Published: 09/04/2026, 12:00 AM

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. Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout Granzotto, C. et al. Sci. Adv. 12, eady3618 (2026). Article PubMed Google Scholar Pervasive phosphorylation by phage T7 kinase disarms bacterial defences Sequential reading of a stepwise-shortened peptide immobilized on nanopore Fully funded USC postdoc studying cancer- and infection-related enzymes using cryo-EM, crystallography, biochemistry, and molecular biology.