Croc's deadly last meal in Ancient Egypt unearthed

JULY 12, 2024
by Mike Addelman, University of Manchester

Scientists have used state of the art 3D imaging technology to piece together the life—and probable death—of a 2.2 meter-long crocodile mummified by the ancient Egyptians.

The researchers from The University of Manchester, along with Loughborough and Birmingham City Universities, revealed a freshly eaten fish still attached to its hook in the beast's stomach, which probably killed it.

Using specialist software in combination with X-ray and CT scanning, the scientists were able to virtually extract the hook from the mummy, and then construct a replica first in plastic and then cast in its original material, bronze.

The age of the animal mummy—kept at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and known by its accession number, 2005.335—could be anything from between 2,000 and 3,000 years old, when the practice of mummifying animals was at its peak.

The study is published in the journal Digital Applications in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage.

More:
https://phys.org/news/2024-07-croc-deadly-meal-ancient-egypt.html