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Mummified snake

Place of production Egypt
Date Graeco-Roman Period
Object type organic remains
Medium, technique Animal mummy, linen
Dimensions

height: 11 cm

Inventory number 51.2364
Collection Egyptian Art
On view Museum of Fine Arts, Basement Floor, Ancient Egypt, Temples and gods

Snakes aroused fear and, at the same time, respect in the ancient Egyptians, and many of their gods (Kem-Atef, Wadjet, Werethekau, Meretseger, Renenutet, Isis-Thermuthis, Agathos Daimon) may appear in the form of snakes. The Egyptians associated snakes, on the one hand, with moving freely even across the desert terrain, or with their ability to renew themselves in the process of moulting. This latter characteristic has made a number of snake gods a symbol of rebirth and control over the passing of time and could also endow them with fertility traits. On the other hand, snakes might also have been seen to embody another dangerous aspect: snake bite or spitted snake venom posed a deadly threat, so snake gods could also have a protective or punitive function.
The mummification of snakes can be traced back to the Late Period (7th century BC – 2nd century AD). In the Greco-Roman Period, mummified snakes were placed in separate cemeteries called Ophion, but small mummified snakes or rat snakes could also be found in cemeteries of other sacred animals, e.g., falcons, where the reptiles served as prey for the predatory birds.

This record is subject to revision due to ongoing research.

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