Mummified cats at Leeds YAC

Our Leeds YAC members headed back to Egyptian times for their September 2017 meeting themed on mummification.

They learnt all about the different animals that were mummified, and had a go at making their own bronze mummy cats (from toilet rolls and brown paper!)

The members also created canopic jars, complete with clay heads to represent the Egyptian gods. During mummification of a person, the internal organs were removed from the body, and placed in canopic jars. A person's lungs, intestines, stomach and liver were all placed in separate canopic jars, protected by a different Egyptian god. Hapi, the baboon-headed god, protected the lungs; Qebehsenuef, who has a falcon’s head, looked after the intestines; Duametef, a jackal-headed god, protected the stomach; and Imsety, with a human face, looked after the liver

If you're inspired to try making your own canopic jars, check out the activity on the YAC website, complete with step-by-step instructions.

The Leeds YACs also enjoyed a madcap game of Egyptian "fact or act" pass the parcel. Challenges included between the layers of 'mummy wrappings' included building cup pyramids and pinning the tail/head on the sphinx!