WE are not talking about a few wrapped moggies to amuse King Tut in the afterlife but more than 4.5 million baboons, falcons, monkeys, bulls, snakes, crocs and just about anything else the ancient Egyptians could get their hands on. Two one-hour episodes is overly generous for the topic but the experts interviewed for this independently made documentary infer much about ancient Egypt from the mummification of animals. For starters, the techniques and care taken in preserving animals rivalled that used on the pharaohs, reflecting the spiritual importance of other species. The fact animals were capable of feats beyond that of man - flight, for example - was seen as proof they were intermediaries between humans and the gods. X-rays reveal what's beneath the linen bandages and it's not always what you would expect, especially for one poor sacred bull.
