“Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commissions or revenue from certain merchandise through these links.”
As you read this story, you will learn the following:
-
Ancient Egyptians often mummified crocodiles in elaborate ceremonies dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek.
-
Study of one of the crocodiles has revealed details of the animal’s death and the methods used by ancient Egyptians to capture these fearsome predators.
-
Using X-ray and CT scanning technology, archaeologists can now explore the interiors of these animals, which, unlike human mummies, leave their organs intact.
To unravel the mysteries of the past, scientists employ a variety of techniques to get to the bottom of things. Climate scientists drilled two miles of ice cores to learn about Earth’s past climate conditions. Paleontologists analyze sedimentary layers to visualize a physical timeline of past eras. While Egyptologists likewise employ many of the most advanced archaeological techniques, sometimes it’s better to just use a mummified crocodile stomach.
That’s exactly what researchers at the University of Manchester did with a 3,000-year-old, 7.2-foot-long crocodile carcass preserved at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, known simply as 2005.335. Although the ancient Egyptians typically removed organs when mummifying humans, crocodiles sacrificed to the crocodile god Sobek kept their internal organs intact. This slight deviation from tradition has allowed 21st-century scientists to analyze the organs to unravel the mysteries of this strange sacrificial ritual.
To preserve the specimen for future display, the team used non-invasive techniques such as X-rays and CT scans to catalog the contents of the crocodile’s stomach. Among the ancient gastronomic detritus, scientists have found some of the usual suspects called gastroliths, which are small rocks from crocodiles Swallow often to aid digestion.
However, scientists have also found intact fish baited with bronze hooks. Since the time between a crocodile’s last meal and its death was so short that the gastroliths had not yet reached its stomach, it is likely that the ancient Egyptians deliberately captured the crocodile as part of the Sobek ritual.
Lidija McKnight, an archaeozoologist at the University of Manchester and co-author of a study published in the journal, said, “While earlier studies tended to involve invasive techniques such as unwrapping and necropsy, 3D radiography provides the ability to see inside without damaging these important and fascinating artefacts.” Digital applications in archeology and cultural heritagesaid in a press statement.
While keeping the long-dead crocodile intact, McKnight and her team also “virtually” reconstructed the bronze hook in the specimen’s stomach for future museum display. In the past, ancient Egyptians may have used hardened clay to create molds and then poured molten metal over coals to create hooks, McKnight said.
“Although thousands of years have passed between the production of ancient fishhooks and modern replicas, the casting process remains very similar,” McKnight said in a press statement.
Despite their horrific fate in 2005.335, crocodiles were actually revered in ancient Egyptian society for their strength and tenderness (especially towards their young) – but maybe they were also Be respected. Archaeologists believe that crocodiles were the apex predators (besides humans, of course) in this Nile-based culture, likely through “crocodile worship”. Experts have discovered thousands of crocodile mummies in the Egyptian town of Fayoum, the center of Sobek worship. many of them babies.
But thanks to these long-ago sacrifices, the story behind these ancient mummified crocodiles is finally being revealed.
You may also like
