2,500-year-old crocodile mummy surprises scientists
Dutch researchers were surprised to find dozens of baby crocodile mummies wrapped around the bodies of two three-meter-long crocodiles dating back 2,500 years.
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| Mummified crocodile at the Kom Ombo temple dedicated to the god Sobek. Photo: Michael Birrell. |
Scientists at the Dutch Museum of Antiquities (Rijksmuseum van Oudheden) have just tested using 3D computed tomography technology with xA three-meter-long mummified crocodile was found at a temple dedicated to Sobek in Egypt.,Ancient Originstoday news
In 1996, experts studied the specimen with an older scanner and discovered that the mummy was actually two large crocodiles wrapped together. However, the 3D scans revealed another surprise. Along with the two large crocodiles, there were dozens of baby crocodiles wrapped separately.
The discovery was a big surprise for the museum, as the mummy is a rare example of a master crocodile mummification. The scans also revealed amulets placed in linen, giving researchers more information about the mummified animal, including its physical characteristics, age, and the process of drying and wrapping the body in linen.
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| Baby crocodiles (blue) are wrapped around the carcass of a large crocodile. Photo: Interspectral) |
Egyptologists theorize that the crocodiles were mummified together in accordance with ancient Egyptian religious traditions related to rejuvenation and the afterlife. Another possible explanation is that when the ancient Egyptians offered sacrifices to the god Sobek, they did not find any giant crocodiles. Therefore, they decided to create the desired shape using two adult crocodiles and juvenile crocodiles, pieces of wood, plants, rope, and rolls of linen.
The worship of Sobek, the god of the Nile, the army, crocodiles and fertility, was widespread during the Old Kingdom. He was the patron god of the city of Crocodilopolis, also known as Shedet. Sobek was depicted as a fierce and brutal god, like the largest Nile crocodiles of ancient times./.
According to VNE