This mummified falcon is adorned with an intricate pattern of wrappings made from natural and dyed brown linen. The details of the bird’s face and head have been skillfully rendered with paint over a white gesso base. From ancient times, the falcon was associated with the sun god Horus and the reigning king, who was seen as his earthly manifestation.
The falcon was also linked to several other deities, including Ra-Horakhty, Sokar, Montu, and various regional forms of Horus. Deposits of falcon mummies have been discovered at sites such as Buto, Giza, Saqqara, Abydos, and Kom Ombo. In the later periods of Egyptian history, many animal species were mummified. These animals were not pets but sacred creatures raised within temple precincts. They were sacrificed, mummified almost as elaborately as humans, and offered in temples by pious pilgrims as a substitute for more expensive bronze votive offerings.
When a sufficient number of these mummified animals accumulated in a temple, the priests would bury them in sacred animal cemeteries. This practice included mummifying not only falcons but also cats, dogs, ibises, fish, snakes, and shrews. This particular falcon mummy dates from the Late Period, specifically the 26th Dynasty to the 30th Dynasty, approximately 664-332 BC. It is now housed in the Michael C. Carlos Museum under the catalog number 1958.063.
