Crocodiles have been crawling around the Earth much longer than humans have. In ancient Egypt, they were revered creatures that were sometimes used in ritual sacrifice to the crocodile god Sobek and mummified just like humans. Those remains can tell us something about other practices in the region thousands of years ago.
Researchers at the University of Manchester sought to learn more themselves. In a new study published in the Digital Applications in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage journal, scientists divulged what they found when they looked inside a preserved crocodilian that has been on display at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.
Unlike mummified humans, crocodiles' innards were kept intact when used for sacrifice rituals. To explore the animal's stomach without cutting it open, the scientists used non-invasive techniques like X-rays and CT scans to see what it had been eating when it died. The animal mummy is estimated to be between 2,000 and 3,000 years old.
The scientists found some expected items as well as one surprising find. Outside the stomach, they found small stones called gastroliths that crocodiles often swallow to help digestion. More interesting, however, was some intact fish attached to a bronze hook found in the reptile's gut. The presence of baited fish combined with the fact that the gastroliths hadn't yet reached the stomach at the time of its death indicates that the crocodile was likely caught by ancient Egyptians for use in a Sobek sacrificial ceremony.
"Our work revealed a great amount of information, both about the life of the crocodile and the post-mortem treatment of its remains," study lead author Dr. Lidija McKnight said in a statement. "Mummies have long been a source of fascination for museum visitors of all ages. Our work provides a unique opportunity to connect visitors to the story of this animal."
"Whereas earlier studies favored invasive techniques such as unwrapping and autopsy, 3D radiography provides the ability to see inside without damaging these important and fascinating artifacts," she explained.
They even took it further by creating a replica of the hook in bronze. "Despite the passing of several millennia between the production of the ancient fish hook and the modern replica, the casting process remains remarkably similar," she said.
Imagine your fishing skills being talked about thousands of years later.
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