Community Corner
Soulful Creatures: Animal Mummies of Ancient Egypt With Distinguished Egyptologist Dr. Yekaterina Barbash Free Presentation at the Bowers Museum, 2002 North Main Street, Santa Ana, CA
The Associate Curator of the Arts of Ancient Egypt at the Brooklyn Museum shares the most current theories of why ancient Egyptians believed they could take it all with them, including their beloved pets.
Animals were as central to the lives of the ancient Egyptians as they are to ours today. Honored and revered as possessing qualities of power, speed and fertility, specific creatures were believed to have divine links. Some symbolized forces of nature. Others were cherished companions.
Beloved pets were often mummified and buried next to their owners. Peek through the window of time to explore the practice of creating millions of “sacred” mummies of cats, dogs, birds, and other creatures, a religious activity whose exact significance still remains a mystery.
