CNN quoted archaeologists from New York University’s Institute for the Study of the Ancient World as recently saying that at least 2,000 mummies with sheep heads dating back to the Ptolemaic period and a magnificent structure of the Ancient Kingdom was discovered at the temple of Ramses II, ancient city of Abydos, southern Egypt .
Besides ram heads, mummies of sheep, dogs, wild goats, cows, antelopes and mongooses were also found in the temple. These mummies are believed to be votive offerings to show respect for Pharaoh Ramses II about 1,000 years after his death, Egypt’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities said.
According to Insider, earlier this year, archaeologists also found 10 crocodile mummies stored in an ancient tomb. This tomb was previously found in 2019 at Qubbet el-Hawa near the town of Aswan, southern Egypt.
The leading theory is that the crocodiles were sacrificed to Sobek, the god of the Nile and of fertility, in the form of a crocodile’s head.
No signs of slaughter were found on the crocodiles, but they had been tied to death. Thanks to the ropes on the crocodiles’ bodies, archaeologists determined that the largest crocodile could be up to 12ft long (more than 3.5m).
Scientists even found a stomach stone (the type of stone crocodiles often carry in their intestines to keep their balance in the water). The stone was still intact, suggesting that the intestines were not removed before the body was embalmed.
However, this is a fairly primitive form of mummification. The animals were not preserved in plastic and internal organs were not removed. Their entire bodies are buried and marinated under hot sand.
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