Photo: KHALED DESOUKI/ / AFP / Getty Images
For: The opinion Posted Jan 18, 2023, 10:45 p.m. EST
In addition to doing it with humans, the ancient egyptians also mummified animals, such as crocodiles, and their own pets. Now, researchers had access to crocodile mummies to analyze them and discover secrets of that civilization.
A group of crocodiles were mummified in a unique way at the Egyptian site of Qubbat al-Hawā during the 5th century BC, according to a study published on January 18, 2023 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Bea De Cupere, from the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (Belgium) and the University of Jaen (Spain), and her colleagues.
The study points out that although there are several hundreds of mummified crocodiles in museum collections around the world, are not often thoroughly examined. Therefore, in this study, the authors offer a detailed analysis of the morphology and conservation of ten crocodile mummies found in rock tombs from the Qubbat al-Hawā site, on the west bank of the Nile.
“In an intact tomb at Qubbat al-Hawā (Aswan, Egypt) ten crocodile mummies were found, including five more or less complete bodies and five heads. The mummies were in different states of preservation and integrity,” the study authors stated.
the researchers were able to examine the specimens without unwrapping its nor use computed tomography and radiography. Based on the morphology of the crocodiles, two species were identified: West African crocodiles and Nile crocodiles, with specimens ranging from 1.5 to 3.5 meters in length.
Unique preservation methods
In the analysis it was found that the style of conservation of the mummies is different from those found in other sites, especially because they lack evidence of the use of resin or the evisceration of the corpse as part of the mummification process. The conservation style suggests an antiquity before Ptolemaic timesconsistent with the final phase of funerary use of Qubbat al-Hawā during the 5th century BC
The comparison of mummies between archaeological sites, according to the scientists, is useful to identify trends in animal use and mummification practices over time. However, they acknowledge that the limitations of this study include the lack of available ancient DNA and radiocarbon, which would be helpful in refining the identification and dating of the remains.
The authors of the study conclude that future studies incorporating these techniques will contribute to the scientific knowledge of the ancient egyptian cultural practices.
You might also be interested in:
Fearsome prehistoric animal, with the appearance of a crocodile and a salamander, is considered the “T. rex of his time”
Babia: hundreds of people attend the funeral of a “divine” and “vegetarian” crocodile in India