Honey Can Preserve Dead Bodies

The preservative power of honey isn't magic, but a unique combination of natural properties. Its extremely high sugar concentration and low water content draw moisture out of tissues through osmosis, effectively dehydrating a body. This, combined with its natural acidity and the presence of an enzyme that produces hydrogen peroxide, creates an inhospitable environment for the bacteria and fungi responsible for decomposition. Essentially, honey embalms a body by desiccating it and sterilizing it at the same time.

This method was famously employed for one of history’s greatest figures. Following the death of Alexander the Great (Review) in Babylon in 323 BCE, his body needed to be transported over a great distance for burial. To prevent decay during the long and arduous journey, historical accounts state his body was submerged in a golden sarcophagus filled with honey, preserving the legendary conqueror for his final rites. Other cultures, including the Assyrians and the Scythians, also used honey or wax for funerary purposes.

This practice was taken to a legendary extreme in a process known as mellification, or the "human honey confection." According to ancient Chinese and Arabian medicinal texts, elderly volunteers would begin to subsist on a diet of only honey. After they died, their bodies were placed in a stone coffin filled with more honey and left to cure for over a century. The resulting substance was then sold at a high price as a mystical medicine, believed to heal broken limbs and other serious ailments.