Posted on 06/06/2010 9:26:01 AM PDT by JoeProBono
There's a real crocodile behind that mask, according to new computed tomography (CT) scans of a 2,000-year-old Egyptian mummy (pictured). The 8-foot-long (2.4-meter-long) artifactwrapped in once colorful linen and outfitted with a stylized maskis one of two crocodile mummy bundles scanned this month at the Stanford School of Medicine in California.
Scans of the bundle above show a "mishmash of bony parts" from at least two Nile crocodiles, including two skulls, a shoulder bone, and possibly a femur, according to conservator Allison Lewis, a fellow at the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology in Berkeley, California, where the mummies are kept.
Their origins unknown, the mummy bundles were purchased by philanthropist Phoebe Hearst in Egypt at the turn of the 20th century. The artifacts were recently restored and studied before going on display this week in the museum's new exhibition, "Conservator's Art: Preserving Egypt's Past."
Mummifying animals was a common practice among ancient Egyptians, who embalmed thousands of crocodiles and buried them in mass graves as offerings to the crocodile god Sobek, according to the museum
Mask of the Mummy
3-D Crocodile Mummy
"Riding" atop the 5.5-foot-long (1.7-meter-long) unwrapped adult-crocodile mummy were more than 30 mummified babies. Riding a parent's back is a common form of locomotion for young Nile crocodiles, experts say.
Mummy ping.
So they found Helen Thomas’ first husband?
Croc Like An Egyptian
INSERT obligatory Bill Clinton comment: “That’s a good looking mummy”.
That guy needs his mummy. And an Uzi.
|
|||
Gods |
Thanks TheOldLady. |
||
· Discover · Nat Geographic · Texas AM Anthro News · Yahoo Anthro & Archaeo · Google · · The Archaeology Channel · Excerpt, or Link only? · cgk's list of ping lists · |
Zahi Hawass, with his toothy grin, “Thees are my peeple”
Ya know, I like a good mummy as much as th' next guy,
but this one reminds me too much of a certain other 'non-mummified'
individual who happens to share th' same house that I do.
Wow. I’m still learning new things all the time. Mummified crocodiles is a new one on me. So what other animals did the Egyptians mummify besides crocs and cats?
And ibises. I forgot the ibises.
It wasn’t hip to mummify hippos because they’d get all wrapped up in cost issues over the tissues.
Uh oh. We need a bigger vat.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.