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- In honor of their crocodile deity Sobek, the ancient Egyptians frequently mummified crocodiles in ornate rituals.
- An analysis of one of these crocodiles provides information on how the animal died and how the Ancient Egyptians apprehended these formidable predators.
- Archaeozoologists may now examine the insides of these creatures, which, in contrast to human mummification, have their organs intact, using x-ray and CT scanning technologies.
To find the truth, scientists use a wide range of methods to solve the mysteries of the past. To get a view of Earth’s historical climate, climate scientists drill ice cores that are two miles long. To visualize the physical chronology of previous epochs, paleontologists examine sediment layers.
Even though Egyptologists also utilize a lot of cutting-edge archeological methods, there are instances when using a mummified crocodile’s stomach is the finest option. Researchers at the University of Manchester achieved just that with a 7.2-foot-long, 3,000-year-old crocodile carcass known as 2005.335 that is housed at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.
Crocodiles sacrificed to the crocodile god Sobek preserved their internal organs, even though the ancient Egyptians usually removed these organs when mummifying humans. This minor departure from custom enables scientists to examine the organs and solve the mysteries of this peculiar sacrificial practice in the twenty-first century.
The scientific team used non-invasive methods, including CT scanning and X-rays, to record the contents of the crocodile’s stomach to conserve the specimen for future exhibition. Scientists discovered some common suspects among the old gastronomic debris: gastroliths, which are tiny stones that crocodiles frequently consume to facilitate digestion.
But the researchers also discovered whole fish that had been lured to a bronze hook. The crocodile was probably purposefully captured by the ancient Egyptians to participate in a sacrificial ceremony for Sobek because the period between its last meal and death was so brief—the gastroliths hadn’t yet reached the stomach.
According to a press release from the University of Manchester archaeozoologist Lidija McKnight, co-author of a study published in the journal Digital Applications in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage, “3D radiography provides the ability to see inside without damaging these important and fascinating artifacts,” whereas previous studies favored invasive techniques like unwrapping and autopsy.
For upcoming museum exhibits, McKnight and her team also “virtually” restored the bronze hook embedded in the specimen’s stomach while preserving the long-dead crocodile intact. According to McKnight, the ancient Egyptians probably made the hook by pouring molten metal over a charcoal fire after first creating a mold out of firm clay.
“The casting process remains remarkably similar between the production of the ancient fishhook and the modern replica, even though several millennia have passed,” McKnight said in the news release.
Despite 2005.335’s horrific end, crocodiles were valued in ancient Egyptian culture for both their strength and their loving nature, particularly when it came to their young. However, this admiration may have been excessive. Archaeologists believe that this culture in the Nile most likely bred crocodiles, the most important predators apart from humans, especially for use as sacrifices by “crocodile cults.”
Thousands of mummified crocodiles, many of them infants, have been discovered by researchers in the Egyptian village of Fayoum, which served as the Sobek center of devotion. However, the history of these old mummified crocodiles is finally coming to light because of the sacrifices made a long time ago.