The monstrous mummy of a baboon in Egypt – Photo: Patrick Ageneau

A team of scientists led by primatologist Nathaniel Dominy from Dartmouth College (USA) initially used mummies from Egypt’s New Kingdom period (1500-1070 BC), extracting molecules to study diets to understand where they come from.

Because mummified monstrosities like this person are said to come from the “lost kingdom” of Punt, which is mentioned in ancient Egyptian documents but has never been identified on a map. .

This initial research revealed they came from a region that included present-day Somalia, Eritrea and Ethiopia. Clues about Punt gradually appeared.

Recently, the research team continued to narrow the scope with DNA evidence from “newer” mummies, dating from 800-540 BC.

They then compared that DNA to the DNA of 14 baboons of known nineteenth- and twentieth-century origin. Just a single sample revealed something interesting: It was most closely related to populations in coastal Eritrea today.

Thanks to that, they believe that the legendary Kingdom of Punt is not only real but also located in the ancient, famous port city of Adulis in Egypt, just different in time.

The discovery also pushes back the first evidence of trading activity in the ancient Adulis area by at least several centuries, as Punt existed before the port city.

Baboons are not native to Egypt but were brought here because the ancient Egyptians were interested in them and may have kept them as pets, many of which were mummified.

It is this trading activity that has left behind valuable evidence of ancient trade routes in the region.