Mummified Animals

Certain animals that were either emblems of, or sacred to, gods were carefully mummified by the Egyptians. Those oftenest met with are the bull, antelope, jackal, hippopotamus, cat, monkey or ape, crocodile, ichneumon, hedgehog, shrewmouse, ibis, hawk, frog, toad, scorpion, beetle, snake; and the lat us, oxyrhynchus, and silurus fishes. Of these, the Apis bulls (q.v.) were buried in sarcophagi, many of which have been discovered at Sakkara. Other animals were placed in rectangular bronze or wooden cases, each surmounted by a little figure of the animal it contained; or in cases which took the shape of the animals themselves. Thus cat-coffins were cat-shaped, with eyes of obsidian, rock crystal, or coloured paste. Large numbers of mummified cats have been found at Bubastis, the city where the cat-headed godde was worshipped. Ibises were placed in earthenware jars, while snakes and fish were often merely bandaged and laid in pits prepared for the purpose.