66 ELLIOT SMITH, Distribution of Mummification. 



the Egyptian practice. The reference of Herodotus to 

 the use of honey in Babylonia is also of peculiar interest, 

 for it provides us with a connecting link between the 

 Mediterranean area and India and Burma. 



The extensive use of honey for the preservation of 

 the body among the Greeks, Romans, Jews, and possibly 

 also the Egyptians, is indicated by the frequent references 

 to the practice in the classics, which have been summarised, 

 with numerous quotations, by Pettigrew (56, pp. 85 — 87). 



The employment of honey suggests the spread of 

 Egyptian influence to Babylonia via the Mediterranean 

 and Syria, seeing that, so far as is known, such a method 

 was used only on the Mediterranean littoral of Egypt, in 

 Phoenicia and the ^Egean. 



Concerning the use of wax in the process of embalm- 

 ing, of which ancient Egyptian mummies, especially of 

 the new Empire (86), afford numerous instances, Petti- 

 grew (p. 87) remarks : — " The body of King Agesilaus 

 was enveloped in wax and thus conveyed to Lacedsemon. 

 This is confirmed by Cornelius Nepos, and also by 

 Plutarch, who ascribe the adoption of wax to the want of 

 honey for this purpose. Cicero reports the use of it by 

 the Persians." 



In his account of the methods employed by the 

 Scythians (living north of Thrace) for mummifying their 

 kings, Herodotus tells us that the body was coated with 

 wax, the abdomen opened, cleaned out and then filled 

 with pounded stems, with perfumes, aniseed and wild 

 celery seed and then stitched up. The important bearing 

 of the practices described in the Black Sea littoral upon 

 Indian and Burmese customs (vide infra) I must reserve 

 for discussion at some later time. 



It will be seen in the subsequent account that honey 

 was in use for embalming in modern times in Burma. 



