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I just learned about how in 1890 a ship filled with 19.5 tons of unwrapped cat mummies sailed from Alexandria to Liverpool, and the cargo was sold mostly as fer
by INTPenis 2y ago
I just learned about how in 1890 a ship filled with 19.5 tons of unwrapped cat mummies sailed from Alexandria to Liverpool, and the cargo was sold mostly as fertilizer.
Now I also learned that Egyptian authorities have since found even more mummified cats, perhaps even millions. But it's still a very striking example of the plundering mentality of the big naval powers.
https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p0jr4z6k/why-tonnes-of-mummified-cats-ended-up-in-england https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p0jr4z6k/why-tonnes-of-mummif...
- jahewson 2y agoThat’s amazing. I’d heard of mummies being used for paint [1] but fertilizer is a new one. To be fair it’s not “plundering” because they purchased them from an Egyptian farmer who discovered them on his land. Very much a two party activity. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mummy_brown https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mummy_brown
- INTPenis 2y agoIt's a complete disregard of a nation's heritage. Even if Egyptians were less focused on their legacy in the 19th century, they are today and have the means to preserve it now. To be semantic it's not plundering, even slaves were purchased from locals.