The oldest mummies in the world may hail from southeastern Asia and date back 12,000 years

Scientists have discovered what’s thought to be the oldest mummies in the world in southeastern Asia. Mummification prevents decay by preserving dead bodies. Some of the oldest mummies were prepared by a fishing people called the Chinchorro about 7,000 years ago. A new study released Monday pushes that timeline back, uncovering smoke-dried mummies dating back to 12,000 years ago across China and Vietnam. Even today, Indigenous communities in Australia and the Papua New Guinea smoke-dry and mummify their dead. The study was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.