BIA

MAI 2015
paying for and their complaints about what
they were receiving instead. Subsequent to that
case, reforms were put into place and the
statement, “one god in one jar” was written,
indicating there could only be one whole
animal per mummy.
At the University of Manchester, MCKNIGHT
has a different point of view. Though many of
the casings were empty, others were filled with
partial skeletons as well as other organic
materials, such as sticks, eggshells, mud, reeds
and feathers. According to her, these items
were readily available around the embalmers
and represented the animals for which the
mummies were made. “They [empty casings]
were special because they had been in close
proximity with the animals-even though they
weren’t the animals themselves,” she told BBC.
Ancient Egyptians were systematically
mummified in preparation for the afterlife. A
National Geographic article on why humans and
animals were similarly mummified explains that
though the mummification of animals was not
for the afterlife, they were an important burial
ritual as they represented religious offerings to
the gods. The animals were often as well
preserved as humans, as it was believed that
animals were indistinguishable from humans
with regards to having a soul. Animals were
linked to the gods and it was a common belief
that some were incarnations of some of the
most powerful gods in Ancient Egypt.
Cats were considered the incarnation of
Bastet, the protector of women and goddess of
joy and music. The Apis bull, which was a
revered animal in Egypt, was a representation
of Osiris, the god of embalming and
cemeteries. Hawks were seen as manifestations
of Horus, the god of light and the ibis
represented Thoth, the god of wisdom and
learning. These animals, in addition to lizards,
beetles and pets, such as baboons, monkeys
and dogs were often buried with humans as
offerings to the gods.
The embalming materials used for animals
were likened to those used for humans.
Ingredients such as animal fats, oils, beeswax,
sugar gum, bitumen and pine tree resin were
all used to preserve the animals after death. As
with humans, the organs were typically removed
and the carcasses were rubbed with salt to
remove any excess water, thereby minimizing
the presence of microbes. The oils and resins
were then applied to keep moisture out.
Dr. Campbell PRICE is the curator of Egypt
and Sudan sector at the Manchester Museum.
“We know the Egyptians worshipped gods in
animal forms and an animal mummy allowed
you some connection with the world of the
gods,” BBC quoted PRICE as saying. “You would
go to a special site, buy an animal mummy,
using a system of barter. You’d then give it to
a priest, who would collect a group of animal
mummies and bury them.”
Between 800BC and AD400, there was a
thriving animal mummy industry in Egypt.
Scientists believe up to 70 million animals were
mummified during that time. This would indicate
that there was a very elaborate and specialized
breeding program, as many of the animals
were killed specifically for burial and were quite
young at the time of death.
BBC’s recent coverage of the findings at the
University of Manchester seems to indicate the
suspicion of corruption has been assuaged. The
demand for animal mummies, scientists
suspect, most likely outweighed the supply at
the time. This could have led to the practice of
making partial or organically-filled casings that
resembled the animals people wished to honor.
Unlike what the Brooklyn Museum
determined, MCKNIGHT does not believe
corruption was a factor. “We don’t think it’s
forgery or fakery,” she said. “It’s just that they
were using everything they could find. And
often the most beautifully wrapped mummies
don’t contain the animal remains themselves.”
Despite the University of Manchester’s
stance on the matter, it is still possible that
both museums are right. As the Saqqâra
document indicates, there was some
controversy concerning mummified remains of
animals, suggesting a strong correlation to
corrupt practices. On the other hand, many
people may have purchased mummies with only
partial remains or empty casings because it
was a less-expensive alternative to a whole
animal during a period of shortage.
“This was an extremely important economic
phenomenon,” Egyptology curator at the
Brooklyn Museum Edward BLEIBERG told
Archeology Magazine. “There was a lot of
BIA LI — Janvier/Juin 2015 114