Mummified Dog’s Head

Animals were mummified in Ancient Egypt for thousands of years, either to allow a favoured pet to follow its owner into the afterlife, or as an act of worship to a god with an animal cult. 

Dog mummy offerings would have been intended for the god Anubis, who was variously worshiped as a dog, fox, or jackal. Mummification involved removing the internal organs, drying out the body, embalming it, and wrapping it in layers of linen. Guimet Museum, Lyon, France.

Photo: Thierry Berrod