Ancient Egyptian Animal Mummy Scandal Revealed 

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Ancient Egyptian Animal Mummy Scandal Revealed

The short stature of the pharaohs who ruled ancient Egypt supports historical records that they might have married their sisters and cousins, according to research into 259 mummies. Amenhotep I, whose mummy is still wrapped, scored the highest point in the study\'s incest factor ranking. The 165-cm (5.41-foot)-tall king was probably the product of three generations of sibling marriages. The second pharaoh of the 18th dynasty of Egypt, Amenhotep I ruled from 1526 to 1506 BC and was the last ruler of the Ahmoside family, having died without a male successor. Historical sources report the Ahmoside family had a high level of incestuous marriage. The variation of height within the family is the lowest of all royal families under investigation. Mummies\' Height Reveals Incest

The 164-cm (5.38-foot)-tall Ahmose I, the founder of the 18th Dynasty, ranked second in the researchers\' incest factor table. Both his parents and grandparents were probably siblings. 1,300-Year-Old Egyptian Mummy Had Biblical Tattoo

In 2010 genetic tests revealed the Younger Lady from KV35 was the sister of a skeleton from KV55 attributed (with debate) to the heretic pharaoh Akhenaton. They are the sibling-parents of King Tutankhamun, who reached a body height of 167-169 cm (5.47-5.54 feet) -- similar to his father, whose stature was estimated at 167-168 cm (5.47-5.51 feet). Weird Facts About King Tut and His Mummy

In the lower position of the incest factor ranking were pharaohs such as Thutmosis III, the sixth pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty. His grandparents were siblings, but not his parents.

Pharaohs for whom there was no information or rulers who were married to their sisters, but their parents were not siblings, were not considered in the incest factor ranking since the incest effect would only affect their offspring. One of the pharaohs in this list is Ramses II (about 1303–1212 B.C.). Standing at least 173 cm (5.67 feet) tall he appears to be the tallest of all rulers under investigation. Ramses II was married to Queen Nefertari-merj-em- Mut, who was an outstandingly tall woman for her time. At 165 cm (5.41 feet) she was taller than the average man in the New Kingdom. Bad Teeth Tormented Ancient Egyptians

The animal mummification industry that thrived in ancient Egypt held a secret which was not revealed for almost 3,000 years: around a third of the carefully wrapped religious offerings are boneless — and, for the most part, empty.

Researchers from at Manchester Museum and the University of Manchester reached this conclusion following a study that looked at more than 800 animal mummies.

The Discovernator serves up amazing facts, piping hot. Get more here!

The project to scan every mummy of animal shapes, from cats and birds to crocodiles, is the largest of its kind. It will culminate with an exhibition opening at Manchester Museum on Thursday Oct. 8, 2015.

About a third of the X-rayed and CT scanned artifacts do in fact contain complete and remarkably well preserved animals. Another third contain partial remains. The rest is simply empty.

Highlighted in a BBC documentary, the “mummy scandal” was exposed as scan of beautifully crafted animal mummies showed linens padded out with various items.

“Basically, organic material such as mud, sticks and reeds, that would have been lying around the embalmers workshops, and also things like eggshells and feathers, which were associated with the animals, but aren’t the animals themselves,” Lidija McKnight, an Egyptologist from the University of Manchester, told the BBC.

Experts believe as many as 70 million animals were‭ ‬ritually slaughtered by the Egyptians to foster a huge mummification industry that even drove some species extinct.‭ ‬

There were four kinds of animal mummies: pets that died of natural causes before their mummification and were buried with their owners; sacred beasts, worshiped and pampered in life, and buried in elaborate tombs at their death; animals serving as food for their owners in the afterlife; and religious offerings, which were the majority.

Having miserable, short lives, these poor animals were simply bred to become votive mummies — offered to the gods in a gesture similar to the way people light candles in churches today.

The practice began as early as‭ ‬3,000 B.C. and reached its zenith from about‭ ‬650‭ ‬B.C. to‭ ‬200‭ ‬A.D., when millions of animals like dogs and cats were raised by temple priests and mummified.‭

According to the researchers, there was an element of demand outstripping supply which may have accounted for some mummies not containing a complete animal.

Ancient Dogs Found Buried in Pots in Egypt

“There simply wouldn’t have been enough to go round,” McKnight told Discovery News.

“More importantly, the ancient Egyptians believed that a small fragment of bone or material associated with the animals or a sacred space contained sufficient importance to be offered as a gift to the gods,” she added.

McKnight believes the procedure shouldn’t be seen as a forgery or scam as the pilgrims likely knew they were not burying a fully mummified animal.

“It simply wouldn’t have mattered what they contained as long as they were a suitable offering to the gods. Often the most beautifully wrapped mummies don’t contain the animal remains themselves,” she said.

Image: Empty ancient Egyptian animal mummy. Credit: Manchester Museum, the University of Manchester.

Tags religion pets mummy mummies Ancient Egypt Ancient Civilizations history

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