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The sacred
ibis, along with the baboon, was an animal manifestation of the god
Thoth, a moon god and the god of wisdom and writing. The widespread
popularity of the cult of Thoth in the late periods of Egyptian history
is attested by millions of mummified ibises discovered in animal cemeteries
associated with his cult centers throughout Egypt. Most of the mummified
ibises were stored in pottery jars, but more elaborate coffins in
the shape of the bird's body are also known. These coffins were usually
made of wood or cartonnage, while the necks, heads, wingtips, and
legs were added in bronze, to reflect the bird's characteristic contrasting
coloration.
X-rays show that the large coffin contains the bones of a complete
mature bird. The head and a mass of mixed bones are clearly seen.
Parts of the linen bandages are also visible, as well as a few unidentified
small white stains, which may indicate decorations on the bandages.
The contours of the bones in the smaller coffin, however, are not
very clear. This may indicate that it contains merely a few bones,
or, more likely, that the coffin holds the remains of a fledgling,
whose immature bones contains only a small amount of calcium and are
therefore hardly visible in x-ray.
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