Mummy Of Cat

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Object Details

Donor Name

Mrs. Mab B. Nilon

Notes

From card: "Head, linen covered; painted features." From 1978 NMNH slide set caption: Cat "Mummy", wrapped linen, painted facial features, Egyptian. Circa 2007 Smithsonian poster of this object lists it as dating from 664 B.C. - 395 A.D. Note re photos: Negative # 78-8780 is oblique, dk, overview. 78-8781 is 3/4, dk, detail of head. 78-8782 is frontal, dk, detail of head. 78-8783 is profile, dk, detail of head.

From NMNH Exhibit Hall "Eternal Life in Ancient Egypt" label for this artifact, 2011: Mummified cat, 332-30 B.C. CT scan reveals the fate of this elaborately wrapped cat. About 10 months old, it lies in a fetal position, and the neck vertebrae are out of alignment. It died of strangulation.

Record Last Modified

1 Apr 2025

Specimen Count

Culture

Ancient Egyptian

Accession Date

13 May 1940

Accession Number

156306

USNM Number

A381569-0

Object Type

Animal Mummy

Place

Egypt, Africa

See more items in

Anthropology

Data Source

NMNH - Anthropology Dept.

Topic

Archaeology

Metadata Usage

CC0

Link to Original Record

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/3c8d46578-c68b-4896-89e4-29e07eec94ce

Record ID

nmnhanthropology_8125401