| Uan Muhuggiag | |
| |
| Biographical Information | |
|---|---|
| Name(s) | Uan Muhuggiag Mummy aka The Tashwinat Mummy |
| Age | 2 1/2 - 3 |
| Sex | m |
| Status | child |
| Height | Unknown |
| Source | |
| Culture | |
| Date(s) | 5,400 - 5,600 years old |
| Site | Tadrart Acacus |
| Current Location | |
| Location | Assaraya Alhamra Museum in Tripoli, Lybia |
| Catalog # | |
Discovered in a small cave in Uan Muhuggiag, in the Acacus massif (Tadrart Acacus), Fezzan, Libya, by Professor Fabrizio Mori in 1958. Uan Muhuggiag is a rock shelter in southwestern Libya in what is now the Sahara Desert. The mummy is that of a three year old child.
It was believed that child lived among cattle herders who occupied much of North Africa at a time when the Sahara was a savannah.
Mummification[]
The mummy was discovered wrapped in antelope skin, with its entrails replaced by wild herbs to aid in preservation. The cave showed signs of being occupied at different periods, and its walls were painted with images of people, animals, cattle, and scratched with graffiti.
Studies[]
Research showed that the mummy was placed in a fetal position, embalmed, covered with antelope skin, and wrapped with leaves.
Using radiocarbon 14 method, the mummy was dated to be between 5,400 and 5,600 years old
Grave goods included an ostrich eggshell necklace found around his neck.
Pathology[]
The cause of death is unknown.
Additional[]
The Tashiwnat Mummy is currently the oldest known mummy from Africa.
One other individual, an adult, was found at Uan Muhuggiag, buried in a crouched position but the body showed no evidence of evisceration or any other method of preservation. The body was estimated to date from about 7,500 BP.
The archaeological record indicates the site was occupied by humans at different times. The most recent layer contained stone tools, such as querns, and a horned cattle skull, probably as an emblem of the sun; while the oldest layer contained stone slabs.
The name Muhuggiag appears in various forms, including Wan Mughjaj, Uan Mugjaj, Wan Mahugag, and Uan Muhuggiag. The local pronunciation of the name gives: Muhjaij: /mouhjeej/
External Links[]
https://www.temehu.com/wan-muhuggiag.htm
http://www.crystalinks.com/mummies.lib.html Wan Muhuggiag. (n.d.). Retrieved January 26, 2017, from https://www.temehu.com/wan-muhuggiag.htm
Uan Muhuggiag. (n.d.). Wikipedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uan_Muhuggiag