Mystery of the Cocaine Mummies

Overview

The UK series Equinox brings us this investigation of a mystery that is baffling Egyptologists. The case calls into question whole areas of accepted scientific fact from botany, through chemistry to archaeology. In 1992, routine tests on a mummy in a Munich museum revealed high body levels of cocaine and nicotine. But such substances were not available in ancient Egypt, coming as they do from the Americas – not, apparently, to be “discovered” for thousands of years after the passing of the Egyptian dynasties. Are the mummies fakes; were the substances from plants that have since disappeared or were there, in fact, trade routes between Egypt and South America that predate accepted chronology?

Details

Status

Released

Release date

September 8, 1996

Original language

English

Spoken languages

English

Production

Channel 4 Television

Cast

John Baines,Svetlana Balabanova,Robin Ellis

Director

Sarah Marris

Writer

Sarah Marris

Budget

Not recorded

Revenue

Not recorded

IMDb

tt15439164