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Re:Sealed Tomb Filled with Paintings and Inscriptions Discov... by jrapdx3 on Monday July 20, 2026 @05:36AM (#48976367)
The value of exploring tombs for the purpose of illuminating ancient cultures is inestimable. It seems humans have always been happy desecrating burial sites if not for treasure then to prove dominance over another tribe or nation.

Of course some exploitation is beyond permissible. Back in the 18th and 19th centuries there was an artist's pigment called Mummy Brown. It was sold for many decades, a rich, transparent brown unlike other brown pigments. It was made from actual mummies scrounged from unknown sources in Egypt. These were not the remains of royalty, rather these mummies were those of common people. Apparently until the early 20th century there was an ample supply of these remains to satisfy demand. Eventually the availability of mummies diminished and by 1915 the pigment quality became erratic and subsequently disappeared from the marketplace.

Comparatively, respectful exploration of ancient tombs is a whole different program than things our species has demonstrated a willingness to do.

Re:Sealed Tomb Filled with Paintings and Inscriptions Discov... by jsiepkes on Monday July 20, 2026 @07:02AM (#48977092)
Don't forget about the soldiers who died at Waterloo who were turned in to fertilizer [1].

[1] https://www.sciencefocus.com/news/were-the-bones-of-soldiers...

Re:Sealed Tomb Filled with Paintings and Inscriptions Discov... by vidarh on Monday July 20, 2026 @07:28AM (#48977291)
Re:Sealed Tomb Filled with Paintings and Inscriptions Discov... by inigyou on Monday July 20, 2026 @05:40AM (#48976405)
The other reason there are few mummies left is that we ate them.
Re:Sealed Tomb Filled with Paintings and Inscriptions Discov... by jrapdx3 on Monday July 20, 2026 @05:52AM (#48976504)
If you doubt that it's true, do a bit of research and find out if it's so.

Here's one source[0], there are others.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mummy_brown

Re:Sealed Tomb Filled with Paintings and Inscriptions Discov... by fragmede on Monday July 20, 2026 @07:22AM (#48977253)
There's a difference between eating and using them as paint, though.
Re:Sealed Tomb Filled with Paintings and Inscriptions Discov... by vidarh on Monday July 20, 2026 @07:31AM (#48977314)
The article links to a source describing medicinal use.
Re:Sealed Tomb Filled with Paintings and Inscriptions Discov... by warumdarum on Tuesday July 21, 2026 @01:00AM (#48988214)
Everything on earth is made of the dead severaal times over.
Re:Sealed Tomb Filled with Paintings and Inscriptions Discov... by kakacik on Monday July 20, 2026 @06:58AM (#48977057)
... or used as firewood
Re:Sealed Tomb Filled with Paintings and Inscriptions Discov... by octocop on Monday July 20, 2026 @07:11AM (#48977172)
Made me think of Ozymandias, king of kings.
Re:Sealed Tomb Filled with Paintings and Inscriptions Discov... by acheron on Monday July 20, 2026 @08:25AM (#48977842)
It’s not actually a rule that every HN thread has to start out with negative bullshit. You can just think it’s cool they found a new tomb!
Re:Sealed Tomb Filled with Paintings and Inscriptions Discov... by Loughla on Monday July 20, 2026 @11:00AM (#48979833)
HN is really good at contrary takes, regardless of the topic. I'm sure I've done some. I guess there's value in seeing the other side of most issues, but sometimes it does feel pretty knee-jerky.
Re:Sealed Tomb Filled with Paintings and Inscriptions Discov... by warumdarum on Tuesday July 21, 2026 @01:08AM (#48988248)
Colonial horror stories with subtile racist undertones. Only white people could do such evils and become acteurs in history. Exceptionally evil, superior you could even say and the only ones locked into a story of repentantce in topdown anti colonial revolution.

Everyone is heartily sick of this, no explanation power and thus not helping anyone to overcome anything. The Rosamunde Pilcher, of looking at history.