2024-08-21 02:22:26
Cairo: Scientists have finally claimed to have solved the mysteries of ancient Egyptian crocodile mummies. These mysteries have been revealed thanks to a 3,000-year-old mummy. It took thousands of years to figure out how these animals were sacrificed by taking them out of their natural environment. The 3,000-year-old crocodile mummy has given many answers to the myths related to crocodile cults in ancient Egypt. Also, the X-ray scan of a mummified crocodile kept in a British museum has solved the mysteries of ancient religious cults.
According to The Sun report, archaeologist and Egyptologist Lidija McKnight of Manchester University is the author of this research. She says that the ancient Egyptians worshiped crocodiles as the incarnation of the god Sobek. These crocodiles lived in the Nile River. Researchers said that many mummified crocodiles have been found in Egypt, some of which are up to 19.7 feet long. These show worship-like activities regarding crocodiles. Crocodiles were sacrificed and preserved as mummies.
Crocodiles were sacrificed
The question of how ancient Egyptians obtained such huge crocodiles for their religious rituals still baffles, McKnight and his colleagues told Live Science. Some have speculated that the animals may have been raised in a pond-like facility and then sacrificed, after an old hatchery was found at the archaeological site of Medinet Madi. However, it is unclear how these fierce beasts would have been kept and cared for once they were adults.
The study authors scanned a mummified crocodile from the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, which was 7.2 feet in length, to find out the actual events that happened at the water’s edge. They found a bronze fish hook within the animal’s gut. This indicates that it was a wild animal that was hunted for the purpose of mummification. The scientists also found a small fish inside the crocodile’s digestive system. This suggests that the animal ate its last meal just before it died and that it was killed and mummified soon after being captured.
Scientists conclude that the crocodile was captured and mummified by ancient Egyptians as an offering to the god Sobek. Sobek remained in Egyptian mythology for a long time. He continued to influence culture and religion, as evidenced by crocodile mummies and the remains of Sobek temples scattered across Egypt.