<em>Ibis Mummy</em>, 410-200 B.C.E. Animal remains, linen, 5 11/16 × 5 7/8 × 16 9/16 in. (14.5 × 15 × 42 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of the Egypt Exploration Fund, 14.651. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.14.651_negA_bw.jpg)

Ibis Mummy, 410-200 B.C.E. Animal remains, linen, 5 11/16 × 5 7/8 × 16 9/16 in. (14.5 × 15 × 42 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of the Egypt Exploration Fund, 14.651. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.14.651_negA_bw.jpg)

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What is the ibis mummy

Hi! An ibis is a type of water bird with a long, curved beak. The ancient Egyptians associated them with Thoth, the god of wisdom and writing.

There were certain temples where the priests bred the birds specifically to be mummified and sold to the public for making donations to the god.

Thank you!!

What did the ibis symbolize something that made them so popular?

Their long beak resembled the reed pens used by scribes, which is how they came to be associated with the god Thoth.

Ibis Mummy

Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art

The CT scan shown here reveals that the wrappings of this mummy directly reflect the position of the ibis’s bones and its beak, curving over its breast. The length of the beak indicates a male.

Carbon 14 dating of a sample taken from the linen places this mummy in a period earlier than suggested by the wrapping style. Future testing will include in addition a sample from the animal itself, to determine whether old, recycled linen was used in preparing the mummy.

MEDIUM Animal remains, linen

Place Excavated: Abydos, Egypt

DATES 410-200 B.C.E.

DYNASTY Dynasty 28, or later

PERIOD Late Period to Ptolemaic Period

DIMENSIONS 5 11/16 × 5 7/8 × 16 9/16 in. (14.5 × 15 × 42 cm) (show scale)

COLLECTIONS Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art

ACCESSION NUMBER 14.651

CREDIT LINE Gift of the Egypt Exploration Fund

EXHIBITIONS

Soulful Creatures: Animal Mummies in Ancient Egypt

MUSEUM LOCATION This item is not on view

CAPTION Ibis Mummy, 410-200 B.C.E. Animal remains, linen, 5 11/16 × 5 7/8 × 16 9/16 in. (14.5 × 15 × 42 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of the Egypt Exploration Fund, 14.651. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.14.651_negA_bw.jpg)

IMAGE side, CUR.14.651_negA_bw.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph

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RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY

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