Lion mummy unearthed in Egypt, animals are more precious than humans in the mummy world

From rotten streets to exhaustion, mummies have been consumed wildly for centuries. No amount of stock can help this long-term consumption.

The mummy always brings people infinite reveries. The mottled shrouds and dead bones, even when they are opened, are like a coffin rushing towards them with a smell of corruption, and they are telling ancient stories to people. Surprisingly, the ancient Egyptians not only struggled to retain their ancestors' souls, but also worked hard for their bliss after death, such as making a huge number of pet mummy.

Recently, the media announced an important archeological discovery: a large number of animal mummy were found in the Bhustein cemetery in Saqqara, southern Cairo, Egypt, as well as dozens of relics and hundreds of deities. Together, they were buried in 25 wooden boxes and buried underground for 27 centuries.

Egyptian Antiquities Minister Khalid Anani said with excitement, "there are enough to 'fill a museum'."

Animal mummy exhibited in October 2019

These animal mummy, including 5 large cats, 20 cats, and 3 scarab beetles (scum shells), one of which is more than 30cm in diameter, is the largest scarab ever found, and also a crocodile.

Because scarabs (responsible for propelling the sun in Egyptian mythology) and crocodiles were common in ancient Egypt, cats were also a favorite of ancient Egyptians. So the most interesting thing is the 5 big cats. Through CT scans, archeologists have confirmed that two of them are lion cubs, and the other three may be cheetahs or tigers, and further confirmation is needed.

Confirmed Mummy of a Little Lion

The two little lions are called "precious little lions". Mostafa Wazri, head of the Egyptian Antiquities Supreme Council, said, "This is the first time in the world to find a complete lion mummy." Earlier in 2004, Saqqara had also unearthed the remains of a lion, but it was far from complete. The little lion wrapping technique is very good this time, and the shapes of the limbs and tail are preserved.

According to statistics, millions of animal mummy have been unearthed in Egyptian history, but lions are very rare.

Archaeologists said that perhaps because the ancient Egyptians loved them too much, after they were made into mummy, they were also made into mummy to accompany themselves in another world.

Box containing little lion mummy

According to archaeologist Salima Ikram, "they (the lion mummy) reveal the relationship between wild and dangerous animals and the ancient Egyptians." She said, "This may suggest that lions have lived in Egypt. Places that we have seen in paintings. "

There is no doubt that this discovery has delighted scientists and will also be a great incentive for the region's tourism industry. However, what we are going to talk about today is another topic:

Is the mummy in history really precious?

         Precious little lion, not precious mummy

Today, our sacred and solemn impression of the mummy is actually formed in the modern era (mid-nineteenth century) where archeology is on the rise. When the Egyptian mummy was discovered, their image was not so high-end, and even a little different.

In order to prevent the body from decaying, the ancient Egyptian mummy maker hollowed out the viscera and brain of the body, then used a mixture of salt and baking soda to clean the body and suck out water. After the body was completely dried, it was coated with various anticorrosive materials. Linen wrapped.

This kind of antiseptic raw material is generally a paste made of resin, essential oil, perfume and other substances, which can prevent bacteria, insects and moisture from eroding the dead body.

During storage, the resin will fuse with the body fluid and other substances, forming a layer of black resin-like substance on the surface, which looks like it has been soaked in asphalt.

The black substance formed by the resin on the mummy surface is like asphalt

In the 7th century AD, the Arabs invaded Egypt and found mummy on this land. According to the surface characteristics, they named it mūmiya (ie asphalt). The name was later transmitted to Europe, so the English word mummy was introduced to China and transliterated as "mummy".

Coincidentally, Europe was at the time of the Renaissance (14th to 16th centuries), and a retro wave was emerging in various fields, including ancient Greek medicine. Mummy accidentally caught the attention of European businessmen.

Because in the ancient Greek medical system of Hippocrates, the "father of Western medicine", bitumen is a magical medicine that can be used internally to treat arthritis and externally to stop bleeding. In the West Asia where Arabia is located, many places have produced bitumen since ancient times, but the output of natural bitumen is scarce and demand exceeds supply. So some European merchants found Arab merchants and asked for more asphalt.

The Arab businessman blinked after listening, you want "mummy" (asphalt)? This is easy to handle, that thing is everywhere in Egypt! So the mummy entered the European market as a medicine and became an alternative to asphalt.

Europeans at the time believed that the ancient Egyptians who lived in such a long time could save the dead bodies and must have a panacea. Then came the concept: how powerful the mummy is over thousands of years! Making these mummy into medicinal materials will surely get health, vitality and even eternal life from them.

So the merchants advertised that the powder made from the mummy was blown into a magic drug, ranging from headaches, brain heat and gastrointestinal upset, to blood circulation and blood stasis, injury to muscles and bones, and medicine was cured. Physicians grind the mummy's skull into powder and mix it into hot chocolate, saying that it is a good way to treat stroke and intracranial hemorrhage. Mummy powder is added with honey and packed into a magic drug that can overcome epilepsy and tuberculosis.

I believe that the magical role of mummy is not only for the lower and middle classes in society, but also for important people and celebrities at that time. For example, the much-loved French King Francois I (reigned 1515-1547) and the English philosopher Bacon (1561-1626) carried small bags with elixir made from mummy powder.

As a result, the mummy has become the finale of the aristocratic party. After enjoying the best food and wine, and listening to the beautiful music, the host of the party invited the mummy. The crowds sat around and took turns to step forward to untie the layers of shroud, praising the amazing craftsmanship of ancient Egypt. Countless well-preserved mummies were wasted by nobles as dolls that were able to undress.

         Has been used as a pigment and has been used in boilers

However, the use of mummy is not always so bloody. It has also been used to make pigments called "mummy browns", made from a mixture of ground mummy flesh, white asphalt, and myrrh.

From the Middle Ages (5th to 15th centuries) to the Renaissance (14th to 16th centuries), painters often bought medicinal materials as pigments from pharmacies, and this was how they discovered the mummy brown. It is rich in color, high in transparency, and has more expressive power than ordinary brown pigments, which is very popular.

Michel Martin Rodrin's "In the Kitchen" makes extensive use of this pigment.

Rodlin's The Kitchen Interior

Do these works smell rancid? Spices such as frankincense and myrrh are used to make the mummy, so the taste of the mummy brown may be quite good.

This pigment was not used until 1964, and it disappeared from the market due to the sharp decrease in the number of raw materials. A pigment called "mummy brown" is still available, but there is no mummy in the raw material. It is made of kaolin, quartz, goethite and iron ore powder. Compared with the authentic mummy brown, the color is usually more partial. Yellow or reddish.

In the middle, there was an episode. During the first industrial revolution (1860s to 1840s), with the continuous construction of railways, Egypt discovered a large number of mummy. It is said that at that time, the workers repairing the railway could dig out several mummies, and the local hawkers sold them directly on the street.

Excessive production put the mummy industry into crisis, prices plummeted, and were even cheaper than coal. So again a new use was developed: the mummy was thrown into the stove of a train as fuel. Countless mummies have become victims of Egypt's train journey to civilization.

From rotten streets to exhaustion, mummies have been consumed wildly for centuries. No amount of stock can help but spend so long.

In the late 20th century, the number of mummy discoveries decreased sharply, and with the development of modern archeology, people gradually realized the value of the valuable cultural relics of the mummy. The European government began to ban the sale of mummy in 1980.

These factors have contributed to the protection of mummies, and made both human and animal mummies cherished by the Egyptian government. They will not repeat the same mistakes that were wilfully destroyed. And this also gives us a chance to see the true appearance of the ancient Egyptian lion in the museum.