Egyptian mummies were covered with an enigmatic black organic matter. Its chemical composition is classically determined by molecular analysis methods, which are destructive by nature. In a new analytical approach based on 1H and 14N hyperfine spectroscopy, we use V⁺ ions, existing at trace level in this black matter, as internal probes for a non-destructive exploration of the material. The results suggest that a common recipe was used for animal and human mummies of different ages.