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The Crocodile Mummies of Ancient Egypt
Egyptians didn’t just mummify cats and people
The ancient Egyptians had a knack and a craving to mummify anything and everything. Egyptologists have unearthed mummified birds, cats, people, children, ibises, baboons, and even fish. They even mummified crocodiles. And the Egyptians didn’t just mummify a few crocodiles, they mummified thousands.
Obtaining these animals was not easy and dealing with crocodiles came with a large amount of risk. The Nile crocodile is the largest crocodilian species in Africa and can achieve lengths of over fourteen feet and weigh over four hundred pounds.
So why did the Egyptians mummify so many of these dangerous animals? And how did they keep a steady supply of crocs flowing for their mummification rituals?
Cult worship
The Egyptian god Sobek was the god of fertility and was represented by a fierce crocodile head. Sobek worship was often accompanied by mummified crocodiles that were used in religious ceremonies, were displayed in temples, and were made for special offerings. Sobek's worship drove much of the crocodile trade as his followers ravenously pursued the animals for their own purposes.
Sobek was also a deity that supposedly offered protection in battle and protection from the dangers of the Nile. In order to obtain this special protection followers would need to provide an offering. The highest level of offering for Sobek was the mummified Nile crocodile.
Some archeological sites have revealed thousands upon thousands of mummy crocodiles in one place.
Getting the crocodiles
In the large centers of Sobek worship, crocodiles were raised in captivity for the purpose of one day being mummified. Raising crocodiles is not particularly difficult and they breed quickly under the right circumstances. These captive crocodiles were raised in luxury by priests or contracted farmers to provide the nation with the symbolic animals.
