Leicester to lead new project on Ancient Egyptian bird mummies

University of Leicester archaeologist, Professor Richard Thomas, will lead a new project analysing mummified birds from Ancient Egypt. 

The project, Raptors Unwrapped, will combine new, non-destructive scientific analysis of mummies with re-evaluation of written and art historical sources. It will transform understanding how birds of prey in Late and Ptolemaic Egypt (712-30 BCE) were captured, kept and mummified. 

Professor Thomas, who will be the principal investigator for the project, said: “Birds of prey are commonplace in Ancient Egypt in hieroglyphs, artistic representations and mummies. Despite this, scholarly investigation has rarely extended beyond their associations with particular gods. 

“By undertaking cutting-edge, scientific analysis of bird mummies and re-evaluating art historical and textual evidence using knowledge of bird behaviours, we will better understand how and why birds of prey were exploited in Late and Ptolemaic Egypt, when vast numbers were mummified on an industrial scale. 

“Not only will this advance scientific methods for investigating mummies, but we also hope to show how archaeological evidence can be used to understand the long-term impact of intensive, human exploitation on wild bird populations”

Dr Joanne Cooper, Senior Curator of the avian anatomical collections at the Natural History Museum, and one of the co-investigators added: “‘Despite the huge numbers of raptor mummies that have been discovered, so much remains unknown about them.  The opportunity to explore their mysteries by connecting scientific and cultural evidence is incredibly exciting and I’m sure is going to produce some surprises.

Dr Campbell Price, Curator of Egypt and Sudan at Manchester Museum, The University of Manchester, further noted: “This project is especially exciting for the interdisciplinary depth of focus it will give to the dynamic role of raptors in Pharaonic society and iconography.

Dr Campbell Murn Head of Conservation, Research and Education at the Hawk Conservancy Trust added: ‘Human exploitation of raptor populations is a pressing conservation issue. This project will give deeper insight into ancient exploitation of raptors and any parallels with the 21st-century impacts of these practices. 

Raptors Unwrapped is a collaboration between the University of Leicester, the Natural History Museum, Manchester Museum (The University of Manchester) and Nottingham Trent University, with additional support provided by SUERC, the Hawk Conservancy Trust and Manchester University NHS FoundationTrust. The project has been funded for three years by the Leverhulme Trust. 

Work on the project is due to begin in February 2025.