I just returned from my first trip to London and Paris. We didn't have time to see much beyond the usual tourist stops, but we did spend two afternoons at the Louvre and the British National Museum. Of course, we saw the Mona Lisa and the Rosetta Stone, but the exhibits that intrigued me the most were the Egyptian cat mummies. It seems it was standard practice in ancient Egypt to bury household animals with their owners when they died. The animals, then, would accompany the person into the afterlife. The cat mummy I liked best was trimmed in gold with gold hoop earrings in each of the cat's ears.
I can't reconcile how ancient people, who seemed to love and appreciate their "pets", would also apparently kill and mummify them when their "owners" died. Different time, different sensibilities, I guess. Anyway, I found the custom quite fascinating and wanted to learn more. That's why I was thrilled to find an entire article on animal mummies in the current (November) issue of National Geographic magazine. If you're interested in the history of animals in societies and cultures like I am, pick up a copy!
The article tells some incredible tales (no pun intended!) of archeological finds, like the farmer in Egypt who uncovered a mass grave of humdreds of thousands of mummified cats. Scientists believe that mummies like these may have been what they call "votive objects", sold to visiting pilgrims and then offered up to the gods during yearly religious festivals. And, according to the article, it seems there was corruption going on in those ancient days just as there would be today...upon xray, some of the mummies that had been sold and offered to the gods were, in fact, empty!
Anyway, it's an issue of NG worth reading. Elsewhere in the magazine, there is a moving photo about a 40-year-old chimpanzee who died and was mourned by the other residents at her burial. It truly touched my heart. (See the story explained here.)
--Laurel
Very interesting stories, Laurel! I wonder if the Eqyptians didn't really feel they were killing the cats because they would be "living" together in the afterlife? I imagine they had a humane way to do it given how they worshipped cats. Interesting about the corruption around the cat mummies. It seems there are always folks willing to take advantage of others, unfortunately. Any idea how modern Egytpians feel about cats?
Moving story about the monkey. Humans don't give animals enough credit, do we.
Turtlecookie.
Posted by: turtlecookie | November 05, 2009 at 09:15 AM
What an amazing trip you must have had Laurel! Welcome home. Like you, I am fascinated with and wonder abot the human-animal bond as it was a long, long ago. Cats must have been fairly special in the King's hierachy...I never knew that there was an gravesight containing a massive amount of cat mummies!
Posted by: Dana | November 05, 2009 at 10:34 AM
No, Turtlecookie, I don't know how Egyptians feel about cats. Interesting question! Any readers have knowledge of this?
Posted by: Laurel | November 05, 2009 at 12:50 PM