A new study has found that ancient Egyptians bred birds of prey for use as offerings to the gods.
Lead author Salima Ikram said: “The idea of birds of prey being bred to the extent of being kept and force-fed is new. Until now, the sheer number of raptor mummies had been a mystery – did they catch or trap them and kill them, raid nests, or find them dead? Our results explain why they had so many: we now think it was because of active breeding.”
Mummified animals from ancient Egypt are commonly found. Earlier this year, researchers said a catacomb containing eight million mummified puppies and dogs was found next to the temple of Anubis, the dog-like god of death, in North Saqqara in Egypt.
Story: Harry Osborne, International Business Times | Photo: Carina Beyer
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