In chapter nine “The Third Intermediate Period and Late Period” from the textbook An Introduction to the Archaeology of Ancient Egypt by Kathryn A. Bard, I found the section on animal cults to be the most interesting. Regarding Ancient Egyptian burial practices we most often hear about human mummification, rarely being knowledgeable on the mummification of animals. Within Saqqara is located the Serapeum which houses the mummified remains of Apis bulls. In Ancient Egypt, bulls were symbolically related to the Egyptian king/pharaoh and this relationship gave them a special significance, leading to the development of a cult dedicated to them. An enormous amount of resources and time were contributed to these cults and the Serapeum/ Serapeum Way, excavated by Auguste Mariette is a representation of this. The Serapeum Way was a processional route that went from east to west across Saqqara and toward the burial galleries of the Apis bull (Bard, 302). Excavations from this area revealed royal stelae that gave archaeologists and Egyptologists information about the cult and the bulls entombed in the Serapeum. Bulls were not the only cult animals mummified and buried in this particular area. Mummified ibises, Isis cows, baboons, and falcons can also be found in their own galleries located to the north of the Serapeum. Also located in Saqqara is a temple complex built in the 30th Dynasty by pharaohs Nectanebo I and Nectanebo II (Bard, 304). Located here is a temple dedicated to the cat-goddess Bastet, consisting of mummified cats. A temple associated with Anubis consists of mummified canids and mummified dogs have also been found in the catacombs of Anubieion (Bard, 304).
The large number of mummified animals is largely due to the offerings made by pilgrims visiting the temples. Pilgrims would come to these temples to petition to temple oracles and possibly visit with dream interpreters and astrologers. The offerings of animals to the cult may have been used as a way of payment or exchange on behalf of something the pilgrims hoped to have. They could also have been for veneration toward that specific pharaoh or that cult in general “which may have been associated with the Osirian cycle of life, death, and rebirth, and associated with concepts of fertility and procreation” (Bard, 306). These cults and temples seemed to have an importance in the ritualistic or religious life of Egyptians due to the attraction of so many pilgrims from all over the empire. This can be compared to the many pilgrimages individuals of different religious backgrounds take today and the offerings of mummified animals could also be attributed to animal sacrifices practiced by many other religions in the past. It is interesting to see the importance of cults in Egypt and I wish the book explained more on why the animals were mummified and if they were given offerings and venerated after death like deceased humans were.
Ancient Egyptian fascination with animals is an interesting window into their societal values. Deciding which animals correspond to which deities probably had a lot to do with characteristics like strength, size, and abilities. Bulls, as you said, were related to the kingship, and they are large and strong animals, demonstrating that it was valuable for Pharaohs to have that unyielding (and even stubborn) strength. My question would be, though, how involved with these animal cults were the kings themselves? Did they actively participate in the veneration of these animals, or was this separate from the state?
I also wonder what the social dynamics of these animal cults were like. Given the connection you draw between religious homecomings and the visitations/worships at the cult center, I would like to think that common people had access to this aspect of religion. There was so much stratification in Ancient Egyptian society that those that were not Royals or Elites did not have the wealth or privilege necessary for lavish tombs and burials. For members of the working class, a religious and ceremonial burial looked significantly different from that of the upper class. Perhaps these animal cults gave everyday Ancient Egyptians the opportunity to bond with a religion that wasn’t really made for them. Visiting the oracle and participating in a sacrifice were probably ceremonies typically reserved for the upper class, especially when it came to cults of humanoid deities. This lower-intensity type of cult gave everyone the chance to be an important part of a religious ceremony.