2,400 Year Old Egyptian Mummy in Utah Was A Sacrificed Puppy According to Research

A collection of Egyptian relics was donated to Utah State University and it contained a small mummy. This was about the size of a human foot, but through scans and microscopes they discovered it was the remains of a puppy.

The Mystery Revealed: From Mummy to Man’s Best Friend

The relics came to USU through the donation of the Flame family who had it in a private collection for years. Stephen Flame, who has passed on, originally received the mummy from a student.

Ancient Egyptians often mummified animals that researchers believe were sacrificed to their gods. Sascha Baldauf, a student at USU, took an interest in understanding what was in the little wrapped bundle included in the collection.

Tracing History: The Journey of an Ancient Egyptian Dog to Utah

The small mummy was too fragile to unwrap without destroying it, so they used CT scans to see inside the wrapping. As they analyzed the information they realized there was actually a small animal inside.

What was assumed to be a cat, actually turned out to be a canine. It isn't clear if it was a wild dog or domesticated. Samples were sent to a lab for carbon dating that placed it to be about 2400 years old.

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This has been helpful in understanding Egyptian mummification practices as well as understanding this dog species. It is interesting that an ancient dog from Egypt eventually ended up in Utah.