Abstract:Ab stractThis pa per sum ma rises work un der taken dur ing the Cat a combs of Anubis pro ject which has ex am ined the Dog Cat acomb at North Saqqara. It ex am ines the con di tion and nat u ral de cay of the mon u ment as well as look ing at the en virons of the Lake of Abusir at the north ern end of the site.
“…They are often depicted in Egyptian art in composite forms with human bodies and jackal heads (Taylor, 2001), or as standing or crouched canines (Osborn and Osbornova, 1998). Catacombs containing many thousands of mummified votive canids have been located at Saqqara and at other sites around Egypt (Ikram, 2005;Nicholson, 2005;Nicholson et al, 2013;Nicholson et al, 2015).…”
Non-destructive assessment of wrapped mummified animal remains from ancient Egypt using imaging techniques is the most ethically viable manner by which to investigate bundle contents. Bundles studied to date revealed complete and incomplete animal skeletons, multiple individuals (or parts thereof) wrapped together in one bundle, non-skeletal material, organic matter and anomalies of unknown origin. The identification of animal species using imaging alone can be fraught with difficulty, especially in cases in which the skeleton is incomplete and diagnostic elements are lost or significantly damaged. This paper describes the radiographic investigation of a mummy bundle wrapped in the form of a canid, a species closely associated with ancient Egyptian embalming deities. Computed tomography (CT) was performed, and the bundle contents were computer modelled, leading to the production of a laser sintered 3D replica. Imaging identified three skeletal fragments carefully positioned to act as structural support for the bundle; however, radiographic data proved inadequate to enable definitive identification of these elements. 3D printing enabled direct comparison with skeletal reference collections and confirmed that the bones were of human origin. This paper demonstrates that imaging of wrapped animal mummy bundles and 3D printing of unidentified elements or non-skeletal anomalies will assist in their accurate identification in a non-destructive manner.
“…They are often depicted in Egyptian art in composite forms with human bodies and jackal heads (Taylor, 2001), or as standing or crouched canines (Osborn and Osbornova, 1998). Catacombs containing many thousands of mummified votive canids have been located at Saqqara and at other sites around Egypt (Ikram, 2005;Nicholson, 2005;Nicholson et al, 2013;Nicholson et al, 2015).…”
Non-destructive assessment of wrapped mummified animal remains from ancient Egypt using imaging techniques is the most ethically viable manner by which to investigate bundle contents. Bundles studied to date revealed complete and incomplete animal skeletons, multiple individuals (or parts thereof) wrapped together in one bundle, non-skeletal material, organic matter and anomalies of unknown origin. The identification of animal species using imaging alone can be fraught with difficulty, especially in cases in which the skeleton is incomplete and diagnostic elements are lost or significantly damaged. This paper describes the radiographic investigation of a mummy bundle wrapped in the form of a canid, a species closely associated with ancient Egyptian embalming deities. Computed tomography (CT) was performed, and the bundle contents were computer modelled, leading to the production of a laser sintered 3D replica. Imaging identified three skeletal fragments carefully positioned to act as structural support for the bundle; however, radiographic data proved inadequate to enable definitive identification of these elements. 3D printing enabled direct comparison with skeletal reference collections and confirmed that the bones were of human origin. This paper demonstrates that imaging of wrapped animal mummy bundles and 3D printing of unidentified elements or non-skeletal anomalies will assist in their accurate identification in a non-destructive manner.
“…The catacombs have been cut into the upper calcareous beds of the Saqqara member of the Lower Eocene (c.56-48mybp) Maadi formation (Youssef et al 1984;Nicholson et al 2013) deposited in a shallow lagoonal environment. Of some significance may be the fossilised skeleton of a marine mammal preserved in the roof of gallery 8.…”
Section: Cutting the Catacombmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…That the catacomb continues to deteriorate naturally is apparent from the 'scabbing' of material from the ceiling and walls of the catacomb, a process which may be accelerated by humidity (Figure 4). This process is being investigated by the current project (Nicholson et al 2013).…”
“…Natural deterioration of the catacomb is apparent from the ‘scabbing’ of material from its ceiling and walls, a process which may be accelerated by humidity (Figure 4). This process is being investigated by the current project (Nicholson et al 2013). Figure 4. Looking along the axial aisle of the Dog Catacomb.…”
Section: Cutting the Catacombmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…The catacombs have been cut into the upper calcareous beds of the Saqqara Member of the Lower Eocene ( c. 56–48 my BP) Maadi formation (Youssef et al 1984; Nicholson et al 2013) deposited in a shallow lagoonal environment. Of some significance may be the fossilised skeleton of a marine mammal preserved in the roof of gallery 8.…”
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