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Animal Mummies as Food for the Dead

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Often, animals were mummified (essentially dehydrated) and placed in tombs to serve as food for the deceased.  Fish, fowl, and beef were common "food mummies;" the beef was generally cut into steaks and roasts prior to being mummified.  Sometimes these types of mummies were wrapped, but often they were not; it was common to store small fish mummies together in vessels. 

 

"Food" mummies were not afforded the special ceremony or special adornments given to votive animal mummies.   Compare the photographs of the small perch "food" mummy with the larger perch "votive" mummy. The votive perch was prepared with much more ceremony as it was likely intended as an offering to an ancient god; it was wrapped and included a decorative shroud/netting.

 

Why aren't these items out in the gallery?

 

 

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