Gifts for the Gods Ancient Egyptian Animal Mummies and the British

Gifts for the Gods describes the post-excavation histories of animal mummies from ancient Egypt. Borne out of research currently taking place at the University of Manchester, it accompanies a UK traveling exhibition, the first of its kind. Both the exhibition and book seek to enlighten visitors and readers to the wealth of animal mummies in British museums and private collections. Importantly, they focus on the prevalent type of animal mummy to be found in Britain: the votive offering, which sets this book apart from others on this subject. In a series of chapters written by experts in their field, Gifts for the Gods details the place of animals, both in ancient Egypt and in museum collections, whilst incorporating the stories of those who discovered animal mummies, either in Egypt, at auctions or in museum storage. The range of scientific analyses applied to animal mummies at the University of Manchester and partner research institutions brings the book to a close with the understanding that this research represents only the beginning of a much larger task.