The animal mummies are so fascinating! I was surprised to learn that the more elaborate the mummy's wrappings are, the less likely it is that there is a complete animal inside.
Oh wow, that is interesting. Like this for example?
This mummy contains a complete ibis. You can compare it to the extremely elaborate (and beautiful!) ibis mummy in the last room which has a resin mask and headdress, but only contains feathers!
It appears that there may have been some corrupt priests working in the temples that sold these mummies to the public.
Wow how rude! Corruption.
What is the ibis mummy
Hi! An ibis is a type of water bird with a long, curved beak. The ancient Egyptians associated them with Thoth, the god of wisdom and writing.
There were certain temples where the priests bred the birds specifically to be mummified and sold to the public for making donations to the god.
Thank you!!
What did the ibis symbolize something that made them so popular?
Their long beak resembled the reed pens used by scribes, which is how they came to be associated with the god Thoth.
Tell me more.
This is a typical example of a votive mummy. The ancient Egyptians believed that animals has spirits that could carry messages to the gods. The ibis was associated with Thoth, the god of wisdom.
Thank You