Cocaine found in 3,000-year-old Egyptian mummies by forensic toxicologist. Svetlana Balabanova's testing of Egyptian mummies found cocaine, nicotine, and THC in the samples The Munich Nine (nine Egyptian mummies) contained between 24 and 441 nanograms per gram of cocaine The famous tested mummy is Henu, a 21st dynasty priestess known as 'Mistress of the Two Lands', who lived about 3,000 years ago and died at approximately 21 years of age
Forensic toxicologist Svetlana Balabanova detected cocaine, nicotine, and THC in Egyptian mummies approximately 3,000 years old. The famous case: Henu, a 21st dynasty priestess who died around age 21. Rigorous testing washed samples with distilled water to eliminate modern contamination, and cocaine wasn't chemically purified until 1855. 🔬⚱️
Key Facts
- Svetlana Balabanova's testing of Egyptian mummies found cocaine, nicotine, and THC in the samples
- The Munich Nine (nine Egyptian mummies) contained between 24 and 441 nanograms per gram of cocaine
- The famous tested mummy is Henu, a 21st dynasty priestess known as 'Mistress of the Two Lands', who lived about 3,000 years ago and died at approximately 21 years of age
- Samples were washed with distilled water before testing, which would remove water-soluble modern cocaine contamination
- Peruvian mummies tested showed 1,700 nanograms per gram—significantly higher than Egyptian samples—because Peru is the origin of the drug
- Testing was also conducted on Nubian mummies (approximately 134), with about one-third testing positive for cocaine, nicotine, and THC
- Balabanova was a highly regarded forensic toxicologist who conducted tests in multiple locations worldwide
- Cocaine was not chemically purified until 1855, making 19th-century contamination highly unlikely
Related site: Bohaterom Powstania 1863 Fr. Nullo — view location, images, and history on the Ancient Nerds map.
Source: The Mystery of The Cocaine Mummies Examined In Detail by DeDunking