They symbolized the gods Thoth and Horus: ibises and birds of prey were mummified in the realm of the pharaohs on an industrial scale and then buried ritually. A study now sheds light on the question of whether the Egyptians met the enormous demand for birds by catching them in the wild or by systematically breeding them. The results of the isotope analyzes suggest that the wild bird populations on the Nile were significantly decimated early on.
They carefully prepared their dead to save them from decay – but the ancient Egyptians not only mummified people: They also used the procedure on animals, which had a symbolic meaning in their religion. Above all, cats, ibises and birds of prey were mummified – en masse: from the Old Kingdom (3rd millennium BC) to the Roman era (1st to 3rd century AD), millions of bird mummies were produced and ritually buried As shown by numerous finds in the necropolis of the Reich on the Nile.
On the trail of the origin
In the case of cats, it stands to reason that they were bred. But where the birds came from is still controversial among Egyptologists. Some see indications in certain texts that the birds were bred in farms in order to ensure a constant supply for the “mummy industry” in the vicinity of the temple complex. In the case of the ibises, however, the result of a genetic study already cast doubt on this. The mummified animals therefore had significantly different genetic characteristics, which speaks more for wild-caught animals than for animals from breeding lines.
In order to gain new clues about the origin of the ibises and the birds of prey used for mummification, the researchers led by Marie Linglin from the University of Lyon have now used another research method: As they explain, isotope analyzes allow conclusions to be drawn about the diet and where the animals are or people once lived. As part of the study, the scientists examined tiny fragments of feathers and bones from 20 ibis and raptor mummies from the collection of the Musée des Confluences in Lyon. In these samples they recorded the signatures of the isotopes of oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, sulfur and strontium. The bird mummies were also dated using the carbon-14 method. The results were then compared with those of human mummies from the same sites and from the same time.
Apparently caught in the wild
As the researchers explain, would speak in favor of breeding if there were indications of a uniform diet of local origin. The isotope signatures would also have to be similar to those of the then coexisting Egyptians at the respective sites. But as the scientists report, this was not the case. From the isotope values it emerged that the ibises had taken food from the Nile Valley, but with a significantly higher spread than the diet of people at the sites where they were found. That means: They were probably wild birds that have lived in different areas of the Nile and its tributaries in the course of their lives.
In the case of birds of prey, the result is even clearer: the isotopic compositions show a high degree of variability and “exotic” signatures compared to those of ancient Egyptian humans, the scientists report. This fits in with the fact that the wild birds of prey of the species studied show seasonal migratory behavior that brings them to very distant places in their lives. The mummified birds of prey were therefore caught in the wild and, in the case of the ibises, too, the researchers now assume that at least most of the animals were obtained through hunting. Large-scale breeding facilities appear unlikely, the researchers sum up.
According to them, there are also indications in illustrations that ancient Egypt captured birds en masse. In the famous tomb of the ancient Egyptian official “Night” in the necropolis of Thebes-West, for example, such a scene is depicted. In conclusion, the scientists state: Against the background of the enormous need for mummification, it stands to reason that the ancient Egyptians already exerted considerable ecological pressure on wild bird populations.
Source: CNRS, technical article: Scientific Reports, doi: 10.1038 / s41598-020-72326-7