Animal Mummies
Mummy of a falcon
This falcon has been well wrapped up and has a bronze mask on
its head. Falcons are birds which fly fast and high, up towards the
sun, so the falcon became the symbol of the god Horus, the god of
the sun.
Falcons were quite difficult to catch, so not every falcon mummy
contains a whole bird. Sometimes the bandages cover just a few
bones and feathers. Perhaps the embalmers hoped that Horus would
not notice!
The picture underneath is a falcon pectoral - an ornament that
was placed on the chest of the mummy.