Ancient pets preserved

Archaeologists found a hunting dog and a baboon (a baboon is a
big monkey) buried together in an ancient Egyptian tomb in the
Valley of the Kings near Thebes. The animals died around 1400
before Christ; yet they were so well preserved that they still have
their fur. It is possible, because the dog and the baboon are
mummies.
Normally, a dead body decays until it's nothing but bones. That's
because bacteria in the body, together with insects and animals,
feed on the body's organs, soft tissues, and fluids, causing them to
decompose.

About a thousand years later, around 1500 before Christ, Egyptian mummy makers turned
to animal subjects as well. Some animals were mummified to serve as food in the afterlife
for Egyptians who had died. Mummified pets were placed in their owners tombs to
accompany them to the afterlife. Other animals were mummified as offerings to gods, or
because the Egyptians believed that the spirit of a god lived within the animal.

Some facts of baboons:

Baboons are African and Asian Old World monkeys.
All baboons have long dog-like muzzles; heavy, powerful jaws with
sharp canine teeth ; close-set eyes; thick fur except on their muzzle; a
short tail; and rough spots on their protruding buttocks (Gesäß).






Sources: www.thefreelibrary.com, en.wikipedia.com

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