Ancient Egypt: Man made ‘remarkable’ discovery reveals expert
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The crocodile was a potent symbol of the ancient Egyptian religion that inspired dread and piety in those who gazed upon it. Today, researchers have a fairly good idea about the role crocodiles played in Egypt’s history, thanks in no small part to unexpected discoveries made more than 100 years ago. And yet, in the late 19th century, when Western archaeologists were exploring the ancient town of Tebtunis – the modern-day Tell Umm el-Baragat – they were much more interested in studying human mummies.
An 1899 expedition led by Arthur Hunt and Bernard Grenfell with funding from the University of California benefactor Phoebe A. Hearst discovered at Tebtunis hundreds of mummified crocodile remains.
Rather than rejoice in the unexpected discovery, the expedition was disappointed by its findings.
Rita Lucarelli, a professor of Egyptology at UC Berkley said: “There’s even a story that, at a certain point, a workman was super frustrated he found yet another crocodile mummy.
“When he threw it away, the mummy broke open and revealed that was stuffed with papyri.”
Professor Lucarelli appeared on the Berkley News Fiat Vox podcast where she discussed the importance of the discovery.
After the archaeologists cracked the crocodiles wide open, they found a sudden interest in the papyri used to stuff them.
Egyptologists at UC Berkley have now said the Tebtunis expedition stumbled upon a goldmine of information about regular ancient Egyptians.
And some of those crocodile mummies are still on display at the Hearst Museum of Anthropology at the University of California.
The museum is home to more than 17,000 artefacts from across Egypt, including 19 mummified crocodiles and parts.
According to Professor Lucarelli, the crocodiles lurking along the swampy banks of the Nile River were an ever-present danger to Egypt’s population.
She said: “The crocodile was seen as a very powerful animal.
“It could live on earth and in water. It could attack very quickly. It was very powerful and also unpredictable.
“It had much physical strength – male crocodiles are huge.
“They can reach the length of six meters, so they were really huge. Even some of these mummies are really big mummies.”
Because of their status, the crocodiles were often given as offerings to the Egyptians gods.
One god, in particular, stood out from the crowd: Sobek the ancient god of crocodiles.
Sobek, who had the body of a man and head of a crocodile, was believed to control the Nile’s seasonal floodings.
Ancient Egyptians relied on the Nile’s flooding to keep their fields and crops nourished.
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And the worship of Sobek was so important in Tebtunis, a temple in his dedication was constructed in the town’s centre.
Professor Lucarelli said: “And so, because they were so dangerous and feared, there was, almost, I think, a need to see them as gods and to appease them.”
“So, by having a temple to the crocodile god, bringing offerings was a way to respect the aggressive character of these animals and, theoretically, to use this power with benevolence towards humankind.
“Also, crocodiles were very prolific, so they became also a symbol of fertility.”
Egyptian priests would embalm the beasts, carefully wrapping them in the same linen wraps used for humans.
And to keep their shape in death, the crocodiles were stuffed with waste papyri that had been previously written over.
These papyri, according to Andrew Hogan from the Center for the Tebtunis Papyri at the Bancroft Library at Berkeley. reveal incredible details about the people of Egypt.
Some of these texts include literary works as well as everyday documents, such as letters, wills, petitions and contracts.
The expert said: “One of the things that I find so invigorating and fascinating about working with the papyri is that you are really peeling away below the one percent.
“So, you’re getting to the vast majority of the lived experience for most people in the ancient world.”
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