Ancient Egyptian fresco of geese sparks scientific study

CAIRO – 1 June 2021: When ancient Egyptian artists painted strange but vibrant geese on the side of a tomb 4,600 years ago, they never expected that they would become the subject of a rigorous modern scientific study.

One of the joys of exploring art is the challenge of understanding an artist's original intention, whether contemplating a painting or a musical performance. Creative motivation is always great, according to birdlife.org.

The painting is considered a masterpiece. It was dubbed "The Mona Lisa in Ancient Egypt". The fresco was painted on the northern wall of what would become the Tomb of Nefermaat and Atet, in Meidum, Egypt.

Artworks from this site contain urtla-realistic images of birds and other mammals. This revelation sparked new research speculating that the pictured birds are a distinct (now extinct) species.

Notably, this study is very effective in identifying the species, using quantitative measurements of key bird traits. It significantly strengthens the information value for animal science and the environment.