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Saqqara: The Sacred Animal Necropolis: the catacombs
Mummies of animals and birds were placed as votive offerings in huge catacombs at Saqqara (called in demotic texts: awii-Htp n pA hb 'house of rest of Ibis) with sometimes up to one million mummified animal remains. Such mummified animals were found in all parts of the country and there is a wide range of animals which were mummified (list: Kessler 1989: 32-34, compare: cats). Decrees especially of the Ptolemaic Period show the special care of the kings for the animal cults.
ibis mummies found at Saqqara in the South Ibis galleries and in the South shaft of mastaba 3508
(click on the images for a larger picture)
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dummy mummy
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Falcon (?) mummy
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Further reading:
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