Soulful Creatures: Animal Mummies in Ancient Egypt

Animals played an important role in ancient Egyptian society, both in life and in the afterlife, where they were variously viewed as predators, pets, pests, sources of food, and symbols of the gods. One mysterious and fascinating aspect of ancient Egyptian culture was its practice of mummification, which extended to include the preservation of animal remains from a variety of species, including dogs, cats, birds, snakes, and more. Millions of mummified animals have been excavated at more than 30 burial sites across Egypt, leading to questions about how and why these animals were mummified.

Soulful Creatures: Animal Mummies in Ancient Egypt seeks to reveal the stories behind animal mummification. At this major exhibition, visitors can uncover the cultural context of animals in ancient Egyptian daily life; find out why animals were mummified; discover the technical process of animal mummification; see what secrets have been exposed about these mummies through modern medical imaging; and more.

The nearly 100 objects on view in Soulful Creatures, including animal mummies and artifacts related to animals and their ritual significance, are drawn from the renowned Egyptian collection of the Brooklyn Museum and are complemented by 10 works from the Walters Art Museum’s own extensive Egyptian art collection. These objects exemplify the central place animals held in ancient Egyptians’ worldview and provide a fascinating look at how humans have related to the animal world through time.