Cats in ancient Egypt
One of the most popular cults in Egypt, in the Late Period, was the
one to the cat-goddess Bast. In this period thousands of cats have been
mummified to be sold to the pilgrims, who presented them to the goddess as
an offer. The bodies of the cats were dehydrated using Natron, this
process was similar to the one used for human mummification. They were
then covered in bandages, with the paws parallel to the body. The example
shown here is taken from the collection in the British museum, and it
illustrates very well the very elaborated standard for the preparation
used for these sacred offerings. Enormous cemeteries have been discovered
that held thousands of these burials for animals. The main centre for
Bast’s cult was Tell Basta city.
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