Animals for Eternity
by Mummification of animals in Egypt.
Image via Wikipedia
Image via Wikipedia
The mummification in Egypt didn’t end in preserving the cadaver of man. Long after the first mummification of humans; animals were next.
In 1888, an Egyptian farmer uncovered a masss grave that wasn’t of humans but of felines- cat that were mummified and buried in pits in an astonishing number. There were 180, 000 weighing 36,000 of them. In bulk, they were sold as fertilizers in England to the ship that hauled the mummies. The best of the stuffs which were still wrapped in linen and fine coverings were collected by the children’s village to be sold for museums.
Those were the times when the expeditions were given much funds and discovering such was considered as trophy to adorn the estates and museums of the UK and America.
However, the discoveries from the different sites in Egypt were just cleared away to get the good stuffs. Most of the animal mummies were just sold for the fields.
Long ago discovering mummies were a trophy but now excavators realized that finding such are now more of a science. The animal mummies signify way of life of the ancients. Such are manifestation of their lifestyle, religion and culture.
“They’re really manifestations of daily life,” says Egyptologist Salima Ikram. “Pets, food, death, religion…”
The animal mummies tell us about what all Egyptians before were concerned for.
Nowadays, animal mummies are popular sites in museum where people from far and wide exert effort just to take a look of the animal mummies that are glamorously attired Behind the glass panels lie cats wrapped in strips of linen that form shapes like diamonds. From the biggest animal mummies like rams, gazelles, hawks and even scarab beetles together with mummified dung balls where they feed on.
Animals like succulent ducks are mummified for the reason of food. Because ancient Egyptian believe in afterlife, it’s important to take food from this life.
While other animals like Apis, the bull was mummified for it’s believed that it’s a manifestation and a representative of a god that Egyptians worshipped. It’s a symbol of strength and virility. This bull is the most reverend animal in ancient Egypt.
Animals are well-valued by the Egyptians for they are considered holy. In fact, killing one is a fatal sin. Mummification was done for several purposes to show how Egyptians thought, lived and concerned for. These treasures from the past may be a clue for the puzzles of today whether there is really an afterlife or not. The answers can be unveiled by the animals for eternity.
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