IT has kept its secret for thousands of years but, in the end, ancient rituals proved no match for modern science.

For the past 36 years, an Egyptian jar has stood in the collection of a Harrogate museum and, for countless years before that, lay in the deserts of the Middle East. But tests have proved that the residue inside is not just the grime of centuries, but is all that is left of a long-dead priest.

Experts at York University, led by Dr Stephen Buckley, have established the residue is cholesterol from human remains. The 26cm-high canopic jar was donated to the Royal Pump Room Museum, in Harrogate, in 1969 by local farmer Benjamin Kent. It is not known where it was excavated from. Canopic jars were used during the mummification process by the ancient Egyptians between 2,000 and 4,000 years ago to store the internal organs of those being preserved.

The organs were placed in four separate jars, which were supposed to protect them.

There were containers for the lungs, the stomach, the liver and the intestines.

And although Egyptologists will never know for sure whose remains they have rediscovered, the jar itself may give a clue -as the hieroglyphs mention a priest called Djediufankh.

The testing also confirmed the Egyptians had sterilised the body and entrails using alcohol as an antiseptic.

And for the first time, science has been able to show that the alcohol used was date palm wine, confirming descriptions given by classical authors such as the ancient Greek historian Herodotus.

It was also revealed that the organs stored inside the jar had been treated with an aromatic spice, probably scented cinnamon or cassia imported from South-East Asia.

Diane Taylor, from the museum, said: "This is hugely exciting. This is thousands of years old and we are still discovering things about it."

The jar is on display in the Discover Ancient Egypt exhibition, which continues until September 4.