Mummy of an ibis
From Abydos, Egypt
Roman
Period, after 30 BC
Sacred bird of the god
Thoth
This is an exceptionally fine ibis mummy, in an
excellent state of preservation, with intricately arranged
wrapping. The ibis was the sacred bird of the god Thoth, the scribe
of the gods, and the moon deity, the patron of scribes, writing,
mathematics and
language.
Many ibis mummies
have been discovered, particularly at Saqqara. All were wrapped in
linen bandages, and many of them then sealed in conical pottery
jars.
C.A.R. Andrews, Egyptian mummies (London, The British Museum Press, 1984)