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Ibis mummy

An ibis mummy wrapped to show the animal lying on its back with the beak resting on its ventral side and the legs drawn up to the body as if it were seated. It is flatter than most of the others like it. The body is wrapped with bandages that were kept in place with thread. Four overlapping undyed bandages are wrapped horizontally around the bird, forming a herringbone pattern with insets. Vestiges of a dark bandage covering the head and beak survive. The base is discoloured with embalming materials and shows the tidy horizontal spiral bandage below. Originally, these would have been hidden by another piece of the same linen, portions of which survive. CT scans show a complete skeleton of an adult ibis, positioned on its back, with the head folded over the sternum, wings folded against the sides of the body, neck curved to S and limbs flexed and collected.

Suppl. 11015
Organic animal+plant fiber / Linen
10.7 cm x 9.3 cm x 36 cm
400 BCE – 0
Late Period
Asyut
Excavation Ernesto Schiaparelli, 1910–1912
Museum / Floor 1 / Room 11 RET / Cabinet 49 Mummies / Shelf 03
Museo Egizio