The Mystery of the Five-Legged Cat Mummy: The Rise of a Bizarre Ancient Industry

In ancient Egypt, cats were regarded as sacred animals. Mummified felines were offered to the goddess Bastet, whose sanctuary was in the city of Bubastis, where numerous cat mummies and statues were discovered during excavations. According to belief, if cats and their owners were buried together, they could remain together in the afterlife.

In our next article, you will find out how the mummification of cats was carried out and how an industry was built around it.

The Mystery of the 2,500-Year-Old Cat Mummy

At the Rennes Museum of Fine Arts, a group of archaeologists X-rayed a 2,500-year-old cat mummy to discover what exactly was inside the carefully wrapped package. The investigation revealed that the creature inside was not a single animal but partial remains of three cats, which were also reconstructed in a 3D model.

Instead of a skull in the head area, there was a ball of fabric. According to the National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (Inrap), not only was the skull missing, but the vertebrae and ribs were also absent. Moreover, it became apparent that the package contained bones from the five hind legs of three different cats. The bones were not intact; they were riddled with holes made by insects that decompose the body during decay.

Théophane Nicolas, a researcher at Inrap, told Live Science: “While some animal mummies are complete, others are empty or have only fragments of animal bones. What’s more, because the larger mummies preserved as offerings for the gods sold for more money, many of the mummies were made to appear bigger than the animals themselves, and some didn’t contain animal remains at all. Instead, they were filled with organic material such as leather and gravel, according to the previous Live Science report.”

It is still unclear why the Rennes cat mummy contains partial remains of three different cats, but some researchers believe it was part of an “ancient scam organized by unscrupulous priests.” However, other explanations may exist. Skeptics argue that obtaining animal carcasses was not difficult, and the mummification process was not complex for someone who practiced it regularly.

The Mummification of Cats and the Industry Built Around It

Ancient Egyptian cat mummies are not rare finds, but they are quite interesting. Egyptians either offered the mummies to the goddess Bastet or buried them with their owners. Archaeologists believe mummification was so common that it developed into an industry in ancient times.

It is estimated that around 70 million animals were mummified. In addition to cats, this included cobras, birds, scarabs, dogs, bulls, and even crocodiles, to name a few. It’s easier to list what wasn’t mummified than to enumerate all the species that were. According to recent research, this practice drove some species to the brink of extinction. For example, the ibis bird and the baboon disappeared from Egypt due to this custom. When the baboon became extinct, mummies resembling its shape were made and filled with other materials. Thus began the trade in fake mummies, according to Salima Ikram, a professor of Egyptology at the American University in Cairo.

To address the shortage of certain species, farms, or breeding stations, were maintained solely to supply animals for mummification. Mummification symbolized life, not death, which the Egyptians were obsessed with. “The priests would sacrifice the animal for you, mummify it and then place it in a catacomb in your name. So this was a way of obtaining good standing in the eyes of whatever god it was,” – Professor Ikram explained to the BBC. Mummification also had different levels; some animals were simply wrapped in linen strips, while others were placed in ornate sarcophagi. Naturally, prices varied accordingly, just like burial costs today. Egyptologists still do not know how the priests managed to meet such high demand.

While it might seem like animal cruelty and slaughter by today’s standards, the Egyptians viewed it as a great honor. They believed the animal served a higher purpose and could remain with the gods for eternity.

Mummies as Souvenirs

In the late 19th century, it was common for tourists visiting Egypt to return home with animal mummies. The embalmed ancient creatures were considered excellent souvenirs, symbols of the exotic rituals of ancient society. As mentioned earlier, acquiring such mummies was not difficult. Some people couldn’t resist their curiosity and unwrapped the packages, while others donated them to museums. However, institutions at the time did not attribute much importance to these finds. There was a greater demand for glittering, luxurious objects. Fortunately, this has changed today.

Researchers and museums now highly value these artifacts, as they offer a deeper insight into the culture. They believe there is still much to be revealed about a society that baffled even its contemporaries with its fascination for animals.