In this chapter we`ll discuss only valuable chemical origins: medicinal resin mumian of caves and pearls of caves.
Medicinal properties of natural resins are famous from the time immemorial. We find first mention about them in shoumers` clay boards, where it is said about " Babel " beetoum [1]. This resin, which is the mixture of oil products, coming out on a surface, was the effective remedy for headache.
Egyptians used beetoum, which they obtained at oil shores of the Dead sea. This resin, called "mum" - wax by Persians, they used for embalming of corpses, where the term " mumian " comes from. Later it turned out that embalmed bodies themselves in time turn into remedy, able to treat many diseases. And then they began to use for medicinal purposes not only accidentally found embalmed corpses, but they learnt to make human mumian.
Arabians, who captured Egypt, began to move human mumian out to the European countries. Later Europeans themselves learn to make mumian of human corpses and animals.
The concept " mumian " was wider in the East, than in the West. Balms, prepared with use of honey, fish fat, wood resin, monkey's excrements, different dye - stuffs and so on were understood by this common concept. Specifically, in medieval Armenia the balm, which was called " mumian ", was made of yellow wax and linseed oil and it was used when the skin of hands was chapped, when there were frost - bitten parts of body or sun burns [2].
However in the Eastern countries besides artificial mumian, natural resins obtained in mountains were also used. All of them were used as a medicine since long, and now, when increasing interest to mumian is observed, all of them seek glory of that legendary substance - balm, wonderful properties of which were extoled not only by the fathers of ancient medicine, but also poet [3].
Ancient peoples distinguished four kinds of mumian: mineral, human ( grove ), plant and artificial. Mineral mumian - asil was considered to be the best - real mumian. According to the legend it is formed of wild goats` and arkhars` sperm [4]. and differs by shining black color, softness, good ability to soluble in water, easy fusibility and specific smell.
As recorded by medieval scientists, mumian was discovered for the first time in Iran, in the mountainous massif Daraby. Biruny writes, specifically: " This substance is a Persian by its origin and presents kind of resin. It accumulated at the bottom stone dip in mountains Darabdir " [5].
Many Eastern authors mention that mumian was used together with the " Armenian clay ". The Armenian clay itself ( bolus Armena - French ) as the medicinal remedy was famous in medicine since ancient time and served the subject of export [6]. It was famous as the effective antiseptic remedy and was used against ulcers, tumours, malaria, different infections diseases, as well as like a toning up remedy. Many teriaks, pills and ointments had it in their composition.
Mumian was also used with " the Armenian rose ". " Armenian rose, mixed with mumian helps in bones fracture knitting " [1].
In Armenia, situated in direct neighborhood with " fore - homeland " of mumian, obviously, medicinal properties of mumian - asil, exported from Iran, were known long ago. The first written mention about it, as the remedy, used for the embalming of corpses in Armenia, we come to know from the Armenian historian of the fifth century Movses Khorenatsy, who tells about events of deep antiquity: " Hayk ordered to take Bell`s corpse, embalmed by a medicine, to Hark and bury it in high place on sight of his wives and sons " [7].
In Middle Ages Armenian doctors widely used mumian - asil in medicinal purposes. Specifically, the distinguished doctor Amirdovlat Amasiatsy brings detailed description of properties and application of this substance in his book " Unnecessary thing for not educated people " [2].
However, in spite of centuriesold use of mumian - acil in Armenia, nothing was known about its discoveries up to the present. During latest years, experts of the Speleological Center of Academy of Sciences of Republic of Armenia discovered several locations of that interesting formation. Immediate comparison of it with samples of Middle Asia and Algeria tells that it is mumian - acil.
How does this mysterious substance occur? There isn't unequivocal answer to this question yet. It is known, that mumian is the mixture of organic substances with unusually high content of non - organic elements. At present the hypothesis of mumian formation of wild animals` excrements can be considered proved [8],[12]. By the way, excrements themselves have a number of medicinal properties, which were used in Armenian people medicine not long ago [2].
We are going to elucidate the process of mumian formation, but it is necessary to mention, that most of authors in their investigations proceed not from direct observations in natural conditions but they investigate samples.
In August 1980, in high mountainous zone of Armenia, in unassailable rocks we discovered the interesting accumulation of mumian [13]. In that rare natural laboratory, called by us " alive colony of mumian ", all the stages of mumian development from starting substance - excrements of wild goats - up to its decomposition, were discovered. Conditions of formation were investigated directly at the place. Mumian formed at a part protected from rain by inclined rock, consisted of a layer of easily eroded basalt. From there to the place of mumian formation drops constantly stone sand, which consist of fine sand with the size from d = 0,1 - 0,3 mm. up to fine dust, and mixed with excrements. Right there, where this mixing takes place, mumian formation is observed. It led us to the idea, that stone dust plays the role of catalyst, the idea was confirmed by observations later in other places of mumian formation. By the way, existence of great quantity of non - organic substances in mumian is explained by that.
Stages of mumian formation are presented in Figures 1 and 2.
Figure 1. The stages of mumian formation ( view from above ).
Figure 2. The stages of mumian formation ( slits ).
Stone dust, dropping down from above, being mixed with excrements, hardens gradually, forming a crust from above (Figure 1a, Figure 2a ). In the process of hardening gradual several time decrease of the volume of the starting substance. Then, if there isn't catalyst in the primary semi - finished product, it collapse gradually and erodes.
However, in the presence of a catalyst under the influence of solar radiation, crack occur on its surface, which divide the primary big piece into not big parts ( Figure 1b, Figure 2b ).
Gradually, these cracks increase and the edges of small pieces left ( Figure 1c, Figures 2c, 2d ), moreover, as a rule, the lower edge of the sample blackens ( Figures 1e, 2f ).
Gradually the dark part increases. After that blackness develops into the depth and the sample divides according to the places of cracks into separate pieces with the volume up to several cubic sm. and mass in tens of grams ( Figure 1d, Figure 2d ). The black body, which was formed is almost ready mumian, but the process of mumification goes on, spreading more and more to depth and width ( Figure 1e, Figure 2e ).
Separate pieces warp gradually on their edges ( Figure 1f, Figure 2h ) and the volume to grow, exceeding the primary one almost two times.
Sometimes, on this stage they form " flowers " with the size from 0,3 up to 1 sm. ( Figure 2i ).
In the condition of the largest volume, mumian presents hard, but hydroscopic resin of dark brown color, covered by black shining crust. Ability to soluble of such formation is 60 - 70 %, acidity is 5 - 6 unit, taste is a bit bitter. It has specific small.
Then mumian begins to flow gradually ( Figure 2j ). That time its volume decrease to 10 - 20 %. That process goes on till turns into a thin shining crust, covering the root rock ( Figure 2l ). If there is a crack on its way, then the flowing mass is accumulated in it ( Figure 2k ) or, dropping from the shelf, it can be mixed with excrements of wild animals. Precisely that fact gave the reason for supposition, according to which some animals eat mumian, and part of it, not assimilated by an organism, goes with excrements.
If mumian, which was formed, flows gradually to the place not protected from rains, it is eraded, leaving only a white hardly visible important of salts, which delute with difficulty.
Accumulated mumian dims in time, cracks ( Figure 2m ), turning into dirty brown mass, like dry clay, which collapses while being touched. The volume of that " dying " mumian is approximately two times smaller than the greatest volume.
"Dying " mumian in colony was discovered in very little quantity. It proceeds from here, that the speed of its decomposition is very big. It confirms the opinion, which exists in folk, that mumian saves its properties only during 40 years [1],[4]. According to the results of Radio - Carbon method, the age of mumian is 500 - 1000 years [9], and as soon as the speed of its decomposition is very big, then that number is the time of mumian formation.
Taking into consideration the fact that " the centers " of mumian formation weight only tens of grams ( see above ), the top limit of the speed of mumian formation, which turns out to be equal to 10-4 gr. year-1. sm.-3. can be estimated.
Mumian is met only in high mountainous zone and it can be connected with necessity of existence of special micro - climatic conditions for the process of the reaction with participation of a non - organic catalyst and also with existence of wild animals. And that fact, that mumian formation is observed only on the illuminated slopes, can be considered valid by the necessity of high intensity of solar radiation. Besides, animals themselves prefer the southern, more illuminated slopes. Absence of mumian higher than a definite zone is explained by absence of permanent inhabitants and excessively high radiation.
We think, that the only way of the most complete and effective investigation of mumian is the research in natural conditions, investigation of the life of " alive mumian colony ", that will give the opportunity to design the conditions of its formation more completely.