Divine Creatures: Animal Mummies in Ancient Egypt - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 9774248589 ISBN 13: 9789774248580

Publisher: The American University in Cairo Press, 2005

Synopsis

The invention of mummification enabled the ancient Egyptians to preserve the bodies, not only of humans but also of animals, so that they could live forever. Mummified animals are of four different types: food offerings, pets, sacred animals, and votive offerings. For the first time, a series of studies on the different types of animal mummies, the methods of mummification, and the animal cemeteries located at sites throughout Egypt are drawn together in a definitive volume on ancient Egyptian animal mummies. Studies of these animals provide information not only about the fauna of the country, and indirectly, its climate, but also about animal domestication, veterinary practices, human nutrition, mummification technology, and the religious practices of the ancient Egyptians.

About this title

About the Author

SALIMA IKRAM is associate professor of Egyptology at the American University in Cairo. She is co-author of The Mummy in Ancient Egypt: Equipping the Dead for Eternity (The American University in Cairo Press, 1998).

Review

"Easy to read and shatters a few myths along the way. This book explains all, is an excellent read, and is full of good up-to date and interesting details. A large bibliography enables those who want to research the subject further to find the right titles and authors."--Ancient Egypt

Edition details

• Publisher: The American University in Cairo Press
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 9774248589
• ISBN 13: 9789774248580
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 264
• Editor: Ikram Salima