Accumulations of Calcium and Phosphorus in the Core of Hairs from Taklamakan Desert Mummies

    December 2008 in “ Applied surface science ”
    P. Hallégot, Philippe Walter, Marine Cotte, Jean‐Nicolas Audinot, Jérôme Guillot, H.-N. Migeon, Elke Tallarek, Birgit Hagenhoff
    TLDR Mummy hair from the Taklamakan desert has calcium and phosphorus inside.
    The study investigated hair samples from mummies found in the Taklamakan desert using NanoSIMS, ToF-SIMS, Auger, and TEM techniques. Researchers discovered intra-medullar accumulations of calcium and phosphorus, debating their exogenous or endogenous origins. TEM revealed these accumulations decorated a fibrillar structure in the medulla, raising questions about molecular control in particle growth and potential steps toward keratinized fiber mineralization. Despite some degradation signs, the hair fibers were remarkably well-preserved, allowing for detailed analytical mapping.
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