Curiosmos
  • Home
  • Unsolved Mysteries
  • Ancient Civilizations
  • Cosmic Phenomena
  • Alien Theories
  • Curious Lists
No Result
View All Result
Like us on Facebook
Curiosmos
  • Home
  • Unsolved Mysteries
  • Ancient Civilizations
  • Cosmic Phenomena
  • Alien Theories
  • Curious Lists
No Result
View All Result
Curiosmos
No Result
View All Result

Archaeologists Scan Ancient Egyptian Cat Mummy and Make Unexpected Find

Ivan PetricevicbyIvan Petricevic
November 2, 2019 - Updated on April 25, 2023
in Editor's Picks
Image of the mummified cat (left) and the 3D reconstruction of its interior. Image Credit: Museum of Fine Arts of Rennes / INRAP.

Image of the mummified cat (left) and the 3D reconstruction of its interior. Image Credit: Museum of Fine Arts of Rennes / INRAP.

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

The method of embalming or treating the deceased body that the ancient Egyptians used is called mummification. Using distinctive methods, the Egyptians extracted all moisture from the body, leaving only a dried form that would not easily decay.

The process of mummification was practiced throughout most of ancient Egyptian history. According to scholars, mummifying the body of the deceased began in ancient Egypt around 3,500 BC, more than 1,200 years before the first pyramid of Egypt. Pharaoh Djoser constructed the step pyramid of Saqqara.

Before this period, to around 5,000 BC, scholars discovered early greaves from the Badarian period, which contained offerings and grave goods, a characteristic indicative of the early belief in the afterlife.

However, during this period, the bodies of the deceased were still not mummified. Eventually, ancient Egyptian graves evolved, and by the time of the Early Dynastic period of ancient Egypt, the mastaba replaced the more primitive, simple grave.

Related Posts

A reconstruction of the oldest toilet on Earth, dating back to 2,400 years ago. Image Credit: China Daily.

Archaeologists Find the Oldest Toilet on Earth

February 20, 2023
The Archway of Ctesiphon: the Largest Single-Span Free-Standing Vault on Earth

The Archway of Ctesiphon: the Largest Single-Span Free-Standing Vault on Earth

March 12, 2019 - Updated on April 20, 2025

Mastabas were recognized in ancient Egypt not as the final resting place but as the eternal home of the body. The mastaba was seen as a transformational palace where the soul would leave the body to live in the afterlife. During the Old Kingdom of Egypt, mummification had become a standard practice in ancient Egyptian culture.

The Cat Mummy from the Rennes Museum of Fine Arts. Image Credit: Museum of Fine Arts of Rennes / INRAP.
The Cat Mummy from the Rennes Museum of Fine Arts. Image Credit: Museum of Fine Arts of Rennes / INRAP.

A cat mummy

Over the last decade, thanks to improved access to new medical imaging technologies, research on animal mummies in ancient Egypt has significantly advanced in understanding this civilization’s history and culture. A 2,500-year-old mummified Egyptian cat, which belongs to the Museum of Fine Arts collection in Rennes, France, was dissected with digital technology, allowing scholars to learn more about the interior. To the surprise of the archaeologists, they found more than what they had bargained for.

The mummified cat underwent non-invasive CT scans allowing experts to see the mummy’s internal structure. Researchers then created a 3D model of the mummy’s interior, which was then analyzed with virtual and augmented reality. The state-of-the-art technology revealed the mummy’s interior to the world more than 2,500 years after its original mummification. To the archeologists’ surprise, the researchers discovered not one but the remains of several cats inside the “cat mummy.”

Although numerous cat remains, the researchers say they could not spot the vertebrae or the ribs. The mummy’s interior featured a ball made of textile instead of the head, as well as five hind legs and three incomplete tails.

“With a medical scanner, we always expect to find something. In this case, we expected to see a cat, not several cats, but it is perhaps not so exceptional. There are millions of animal mummies, but few have been imagined. Some are empty; others contain only one bone; sometimes, the cat is complete. The mummy of Rennes is a variant. Some researchers believe that we are dealing with an ancient scam organized by unscrupulous priests,” revealed Theophane Nicolas, one of the researchers at the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP).

Archaeological remains are fragile witnesses to analyze, interpret, preserve, and value. Until now, digitization techniques have been limited to the surface of objects, monuments, and sites. Researchers’ innovative numerical approaches make it possible to non-destructively provide information on the internal nature of the remains while offering great knowledge and enrichment of the archaeological heritage left behind by our ancestors.

Mummified animals

The ancient Egyptians revered cats for their grace, beauty, and connection to the goddess Bastet, who represented protection, fertility, and motherhood. Consequently, the practice of mummifying cats emerged as a way to honor these beloved creatures and ensure their safe passage into the afterlife.

Mummified cats also played a significant role in religious offerings, as they were often presented as sacred tributes to the goddess Bastet in her temples. The process of mummification demonstrated the Egyptians’ deep respect and admiration for cats, as it symbolized their desire to immortalize the animals’ presence and safeguard their spiritual journey.

The discovery of countless cat mummies in ancient Egyptian tombs and temples underscores the profound cultural significance of these enigmatic feline companions throughout the civilization’s history.


Join the discussion and participate in awesome giveaways in our mobile Telegram group. Join Curiosmos on Telegram Today. t.me/Curiosmos

Share386Tweet98Share27ShareSend
Ivan Petricevic

Ivan Petricevic

I've been writing passionately about ancient civilizations, history, alien life, and various other subjects for more than eight years. You may have seen me appear on Discovery Channel's What On Earth series, History Channel's Ancient Aliens, and Gaia's Ancient Civilizations among others.

Related Posts

An illustration of humans in the future. YAIMAGES/Curiosmos.
Editor's Picks

What Would Humans Look Like in a Million Years?

December 2, 2022 - Updated on January 20, 2024
A comparison showing the human brain and the universe. Depositphotos.
Editor's Picks

The Incredible Similarities Between the Human Brain and the Universe

November 18, 2020 - Updated on February 25, 2023
Artist's rendering of secret technology. Depositphotos.
Editor's Picks

Declassified Pentagon files reveal secret U.S. research into wormholes and UFOs

January 23, 2019 - Updated on April 17, 2025
A solar eclipse.
Editor's Picks

How ancient people predicted eclipses without modern science

April 25, 2025
The sharpest view ever of the Triangulum Galaxy. Image Credit: ESA.
Editor's Picks

Check Out This 655-Million-Pixel Image Of The Universe Showing 40 Billion Stars

December 19, 2020 - Updated on January 21, 2024
An artists illustration of the inner core of our planet. Shutterstock.
Editor's Picks

Unexpected Structures Exist Near Earth’s Core

June 13, 2020 - Updated on January 21, 2024
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Fair Use Notice
  • DMCA / Removal
  • Impressum
  • Contact
  • Fact-Checking Policy
  • Ethics Policy
  • Ownership and Funding Information
  • Impressum
CURIOSMOS.COM

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Unsolved Mysteries
  • Ancient Civilizations
  • Cosmic Phenomena
  • Alien Theories
  • Curious Lists