Why did Egyptians mummify animals?
And why did they mummify so many?
In ancient Egypt, the pharaohs and their retinue were not the only ones to consign their bodies to mummification after death. Mummification was chosen by everyone who could afford it, because ancient Egyptians believed the process was the path to eternal life.
They also mummified animals by the millions: falcons, baboons, crocodiles, and many other creatures – pushing some species to the brink of extinction.
Why?
The secret is revealed in the premiere broadcast of Museum Secrets: Inside the Egyptian Museum.
Create a (Virtual) Animal Mummy
Please the gods and give a (virtual) animal the gift of eternal life in our Interactive Feature: Ancient Animal Mummies.
Animal City of the Dead
Walk through winding tunnels where millions of animal mummies are interred in this Web Exclusive Video: Animal Necropolis.
Afterlife Goes On
The old saying "You can't take it with you" was never uttered by the pharaohs of ancient Egypt. They filled their tombs with jewels and gold and that's not all. Discover some of the surprising items they couldn't live (or die) without in our Web Exclusive Video: Taking It With You.
More Secrets
Mummification 101
We invite you to discover the secrets of the mummification process in our Web Exclusive Video: Mummification 101. (Perhaps we should add... don't try this at home.)
Animal mummies that aren't animal mummies
As well as mummifying millions of animals, ancient Egyptians created millions of mummies that only look like animals. Why and how did they create these fakes? Discover the answer in our Web Exclusive Video: Faux Mummies.
Believe It Or Not
Ancient Egyptians were not the only culture to mummify their loved ones after death. Find out about 3000 year old mummies found in China on this page of the PBS NOVA web site: The Takia Makan Mummies.
1 Comments
deadpossum • #12 • 2011-03-25 02:18:40
Wonderful videos! To find out more about animal mummies go to www.animalmummies.net for a catalog of nearly 1,000 examples.