Appearance and Reality in Ancient Egyptian Votive Animal Mummies

在古埃及，数以百万计的动物被制成木乃伊，作为还愿的祭品或“献给神的礼物”。我们对这些动物祭品的作用和功能的理解依赖于我们准确解释材料遗骸的能力。以前对动物木乃伊的研究主要是针对特定物种或涉及个人收藏;然而，曼彻斯特研究小组最近的工作采用了跨学科的方法。与人类木乃伊被保存下来以在来世继续存在相反，这些动物木乃伊最好是根据古代宗教官员的意图来理解的，他们创造了还愿祭作为尘世和神界之间的沟通手段。高分辨率的非侵入性成像，包括X射线照相术（X射线）和计算机断层扫描（CT）是调查包裹的木乃伊包裹内容物而不造成损害的强大技术。在Leverhulme Trust资助的研究项目资助（RPG-2013-143）过程中，我们的研究小组已成功将临床成像技术应用于300多具动物木乃伊。这突出表明，在所研究的标本中，只有不到一半的标本具有完整的动物骨骼。相反，这些木乃伊中的大多数似乎是由部分动物遗骸（一个或多个个体，或在某些情况下是人类遗骸），非骨骼动物材料（羽毛，蛋壳）或非动物材料（泥土，植物物质等）制成的。不管里面装的是什么，这些包裹都被仔细地用亚麻布包裹起来，在被存放在神圣的地方之前，通常会有装饰精美的外表。这些包含完整动物尸体以外的任何东西的还愿动物木乃伊包有时被解释为“假货”，意味着故意欺骗购买者;但是，在此情况下，这个解释从来没有被验证过。目的和目标这个建议的总体目的是通过回答以下三个研究来调查包裹的还愿动物木乃伊的外观和实际内容之间的变化相关性问题（RQ）：-RQ 1：木乃伊包裹中除了一个完整的动物尸体外，还有其他东西可以被归类为“假的”吗？这些部分木乃伊和伪木乃伊是否与还愿祭一样有效，而不管它们的实际内容是什么？部分木乃伊和伪木乃伊是为了服务于不同的还愿功能吗？我们将回答这些问题，使用以下技术：--视觉分析木乃伊束的外观，以评估防腐，包装和装饰处理的复杂性。这取决于内容吗？非侵入性成像技术（临床和工业）与优化的CT协议和复杂的3D软件操作方法相结合，将提高我们对木乃伊束内材料的识别。- 成像数据和3D复制品将使用动物考古学比较技术进行研究，以识别包裹束中“隐藏”的异常。通过对大量数据集的跨学科分析和新的研究方法，该项目的成果将使考古学、动物考古学、成像科学、纸莎草学和博物馆学等领域的研究人员受益。公众和广播媒体对古埃及历史、文化和人民的强烈和持久的兴趣将有助于创造广泛的机会，与公众进行外联和接触。项目小组定期举办研习日，宣传最新的研究成果，并与博物馆展览和广播媒体保持紧密联系，在公众参与方面有着良好的记录。

Context of ResearchIn ancient Egypt animals were mummified in their millions as votive offerings or 'gifts for the gods'. Our understanding of the role and function of these animal offerings relies on our ability to interpret the material remains accurately. Previous research on animal mummies has been mainly species-specific or involved individual collections; however, recent work by the research team at Manchester has adopted an interdisciplinary approach. In contrast to human mummies that were preserved for a continued existence in the afterlife, these animal mummies are best understood in the light of the intentions of the ancient religious officials, who created votive offerings as a means of communication between the earthly and the divine worlds. High-resolution non-invasive imaging, including radiography (X-ray) and computed tomography (CT) are powerful techniques for investigating the contents of wrapped mummy bundles without causing damage. Clinical imaging techniques have been successfully applied by our research group to over 300 animal mummies during the course of a Research Project Grant funded by the Leverhulme Trust (RPG-2013-143). This highlighted that a complete animal skeleton is present in less than half of the specimens studied. Instead, the majority of these mummies appear to have been constructed from partial animal remains (of one or more than one individual, or in some cases human remains) from non-skeletal animal material (feathers, egg shell), or from non-animal material (mud, vegetable matter, etc.). Irrespective of the contents, the bundles were carefully wrapped in linen and often given highly decorated exteriors before being deposited in sacred areas. These votive animal mummy bundles containing anything other than a complete animal body have sometimes been interpreted as 'fakes', implying a deliberate attempt to deceive the purchaser; however, this explanation has never been tested.Aims and ObjectivesThe overall aim of this proposal is to investigate the varying correlation between the external appearance and the actual contents of wrapped votive animal mummies by answering the following three research questions (RQs):-RQ1: Can mummy bundles containing anything other than a complete animal body be classified as 'fakes'?RQ2: Were some of these partial- and pseudo-mummies equally effective as votive offerings regardless of their actual contents?RQ3: Were partial- and pseudo-mummies intended to serve a different votive function?We will answer these questions using the following techniques:-- Visual analysis of the exterior of mummy bundles to assess the sophistication of embalming, wrapping and decorative treatment. Did this vary depending on the contents?- Non-invasive imaging techniques (clinical and industrial) combined with optimised CT protocols and sophisticated 3D software manipulation methods will improve our identification of materials included within mummy bundles. - Imaging data and 3D replicas will be studied using zooarchaeological comparison techniques to identify anomalies 'hidden' within wrapped bundles.- Historic sources from the Ptolemaic-Roman periods (c.332BC-AD395) will be collated and studied, to corroborate the scientific findings.Potential Applications and BenefitsThe results of the project will benefit researchers in the fields of Egyptology, zooarchaeology, imaging science, papyrology and museology through the interdisciplinary analysis of a substantial dataset and a novel methodology for its study. The strong and enduring public and broadcast media interest in the history, culture and people of ancient Egypt will help to generate extensive opportunities for outreach and engagement with public audiences. The project team have a strong record of public engagement through their regular holding of study days to disseminate recent research findings and their close involvement with museum exhibitions and broadcast media.