@1776Stonewall
History Fun Fact: what if I told you that the body of Alexander the great was preserved in honey? Yes, according to ancient accounts, Alexander the Great's body was preserved in a golden sarcophagus filled with honey after his death in 323 BC. This method was used to prevent decay during its long journey from Babylon to Egypt, and subsequent display. Honey is one of nature‘s strongest antibacterials. Its dense sugars suck the moisture out of the bacteria, stopping decay. The honey was able to keep Alexander‘s body fresh for months. Alexander's body was placed in a hammered gold coffin within an ornate golden casket, filled with honey and aromatics like myrrh and rose oil to keep it "sweet smelling and incorruptible". Ptolemy I, one of Alexander's generals, diverted the funeral procession to Egypt and entombed the body in Alexandria's grand mausoleum (the Soma). The tomb in Alexandria attracted pilgrims, including Julius Caesar and Emperor Augustus, who reportedly saw the body centuries later. Unfortunately, the precise location of Alexander's tomb in Alexandria was eventually lost by late antiquity, making it impossible for modern science to confirm the details of his preservation. The account of his honey-preserved body remains a mix of history and legend.
