Vampire bats are bats whose food source is blood, a dietary trait called hematophagy.
Vampire bats share a strong family bond with members of the colony, which is believed to be why they are the only bats to take up this adoption characteristic. Another unique adaptation of vampire bats is the sharing of food. A vampire bat can only survive about two days without a meal of blood, yet they cannot be guaranteed of finding food every night. This poses a problem, so when a bat fails to find food, it will often “beg” another bat for food. The “host” bat may regurgitate a small amount of blood to sustain the other member of the colony. This has been noted by many naturalists as an example of reciprocal altruism in nature.
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Khafre Enthroned
This perfectly modeled and well-polished life-size statue depicts King Khafra, the builder of the second largest pyramid at Giza.
It was found in a pit in the antechamber of his Valley Temple at Giza. The king is seated on a throne flanked by lion heads. The two sides of the throne are decorated with the Sema-Tawy, symbol of the unity of Upper and Lower Egypt.
Khafra wears the nemes headdress, surmounted by the uraeus, or royal cobra. He wears the royal pleated kilt. Attached to his chin is an artificial ceremonial sacred beard. He is protected by the god Horus, represented as a falcon, perched at the back of his neck.
This artifact is a masterpiece of workmanship. The sculptor was able to depict the details of the facial features and muscles of the body, in spite of the hardness of the stone.
Now in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo. JE 10062
Tutankhamun’s meteoric iron dagger
King Tutankhamun’s dagger is out of this world – literally.
“The nickel and cobalt ratio in the dagger blade is consistent with that of iron meteorites that have preserved the primitive chondritic ratio during planetary differentiation in the early solar system.”
When archaeologist Howard Carter found Tutankhamun’s tomb, he described the knife as a “highly ornamented gold dagger with a crystal knob.”The weapon, which is on display at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, was made from a non-rusted homogenous metal with a gold handle.
Tutankhamun’s Amulets
Amulets representing seated gods Thoth, Horus and Anubis, made of gold, lapis lazuli and semi-precious stones, from the Tomb of Tutankhamun (KV62).
New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, reign of Tutankhamun, ca. 1332-1323 BC. Valley of the Kings, West Thebes. Now in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo.
Photo: Sandro Vannini
