Mummies are commonly linked with Egypt and date back around 4,500 years. However, researchers have discovered mummies that are significantly older on the opposite side of the globe.

“We found several archaeological sites in southern China and Southeast Asia, where human burials dated between 4,000 and 14,000 years have been identified,” said Professor Peter Bellwood, co-author of the study, during a phone interview on Tuesday.

Research, as mentioned in a study published on Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, analyzed 54 Neolithic burials from 11 archaeological sites in southern China and Southeast Asia. The findings include numerous samples from the autonomous regions of Guangzhou, as well as from Vietnam, the Philippines, Laos, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

Human remains were often found in crouched or squatting positions, frequently showing signs of burning. Researchers confirmed that many of these bodies had been preserved for a considerable time prior to burial during the mummification process.

Bellwood, an archaeology professor at the Australian National University of Canberra, noted:

Before this discovery, the oldest known mummies were located in modern Peru and Chile, rather than in Egypt.

These discoveries have also garnered attention from leading experts in ancient Egyptian studies.

“The term has been adopted by various groups to refer to other preserved bodies, leading to a broader understanding of the concept,” stated Salima Ikram, a professor of Egyptology at the American University of Cairo who was not affiliated with the study.

“What’s positive is that the underlying ideas are similar, as these cultures aimed to preserve themselves,” she added.

The project began in 2017 with a casual conversation between the two lead authors and subsequently grew to include 24 experts.

“Over the years, we’ve gradually assembled various pieces of evidence,” said Hsiao-Chun Hung, the study’s lead author, in an email. “It’s akin to a detective’s work, where I find small clues, piece them together, and become increasingly confident in my hypothesis.”