Shrew Mummy
Brooklyn Museum photograph
Object Label
Shrews and ichneumons both prey on snakes and therefore won the Egyptians’ admiration and worship. Though snakes could turn their powers to protecting kings and queens, serpents also threatened the sun god Re on his journey through the next world. Egyptian religion made room for both the positive and negative aspects of certain animals.
The shrew mummy bundle shows that more than one animal was sometimes included in one package.
Caption
Shrew Mummy, 30 B.C.E. – 50 C.E.. Animal remains (Crocidura flavescens, C. nana, C. olivieri, or C. religiosa), linen, 1 1/4 × 8 9/16 × 1 3/8 in. (3.2 × 21.7 × 3.5 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of the Egypt Exploration Fund, 14.653. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 14.653_PS2.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Gallery
Not on view
Title
Shrew Mummy
Date
30 B.C.E. – 50 C.E.
Period
Early Roman Period
Geography
Place excavated: Abydos, Egypt
Medium
Animal remains (Crocidura flavescens, C. nana, C. olivieri, or C. religiosa), linen
Classification
Dimensions
1 1/4 × 8 9/16 × 1 3/8 in. (3.2 × 21.7 × 3.5 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of the Egypt Exploration Fund
Accession Number
14.653
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
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Frequent Art Questions
Why would Egyptians mummified a shrew?
Scholars believe that shrew mummies were used to stand in for ichneumon (mongoose) mummies later in Egyptian history. Ichneumon were respected as snake killers and animals associated with both Horus and Atum. Shrews were venerated for having good eyesight in both light and darkness.Shrew and mongoose mummies were buried with falcon mummies to protect the falcon (representing the god Horus) from the snake god Apep at night!Awesome thanks
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