Mummified Gazelle
This mummified gazelle was probably raised at a temple specifically for the purpose of being mummified and used as a burial offering.
Archaeologists have uncovered cemeteries containing millions of animal mummies. They weren’t pets—they were raised in large quantities to be mummified, then sold as religious offerings. Most Egyptian gods were associated with animals, and many animals were buried in special tombs in honor of the gods associated with them.
Late New Kingdom to Third Intermediate Period, 20th-25th Dynasty, ca. 1186-656 BC. Now in the Field Museum of Natural History.
