May 6, 2019

Late last year, archaeologists in Egypt discovered a treasure trove of statues and mummified remains at a newly opened tomb complex in Saqqarah (also spelled Saqqara), an ancient site near Cairo. Antiquities are commonly found in Egypt, but this discovery was different: it was dedicated almost entirely to cats and scarab beetles. Saqqarah was the necropolis (burial ground) for Memphis, the capital of ancient Egypt for more than 2,000 years.

This gilded wooden cat statue was one of many discovered in a tomb complex at Saqqarah, Egypt, in November 2018. Credit: Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities

The recently opened tombs at Saqqarah are about 4,500 years old. Inside, archaeologists found some human remains as well as ceramic amulets and jars of writing utensils. The more interesting finds, however, were the dozens of mummified cats and scarab beetles. Some of the mummified cats may well have been treasured pets of the deceased, but others were probably included solely to please the feline goddess, Bastet. (Bastet was the goddess of cats as well as human fertility, love, and motherhood.) More than 100 gilded wooden cat statues were also in the tombs, along with an impressive bronze statue of Bastet. Animal statues and mummies are commonly found in ancient Egyptians tombs. Some animals were seen as physical manifestations of gods, and they were included in burials for companionship, food, protection, or religious offerings in the afterlife.

Archaeologists discovered the remains of these mummified scarabs at Saqqarah in November 2018. Credit: Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities

The preserved scarab beetles, a rare find, were wrapped in linen inside small decorated limestone sarcophagi (stone coffins). The Egyptians had a scarab beetle (or scarab-headed) deity, Khepri, a solar god of resurrection and immortality. Compared to Bastet, who had her own popular cult, Khepri was relatively obscure. Combined with the difficulty of embalming delicate beetles, that may explain the small numbers of scarab mummies found over the years.

Animal embalming was a vast industry in ancient Egypt. Sadly, this means that many animals—particularly cats and dogs—were captured or raised specifically to be offered as sacrifices for the dead. Millions of mummified animals have been found over the years. In 2015, a Saqqarah catacomb dedicated to the dog or jackal-like god of mummification, Anubis, was found stuffed with nearly 8 million animal mummies—most of them dogs. Such animals as baboons, cobras, crocodiles, falcons, ibises, and mice were also commonly mummified.

April 4, 2018

Fifty years ago today, on April 4, 1968, American civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. The killing shocked the world and dealt a major blow to the civil rights movement in the United States. Numerous events are being held to remember King’s life and legacy, including a solemn 50th anniversary commemoration at the National Civil Rights Museum, which is built around the Lorraine Motel where King was killed. The commemoration is part of a yearlong program of events at the museum called MLK 50.

American civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated 50 years ago today on April 4, 1968. Credit: © Flip Schulke, Corbis

Martin Luther King, Jr., was the most prominent leader of the civil rights movement, which sought to end discrimination against African Americans. While organizing a campaign against poverty, King went to Memphis to support a strike of black garbage workers. At about 6 p.m. on April 4, 1968, King stood on the balcony outside his room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. A bullet struck King in the neck, killing him. James Earl Ray, a white drifter and escaped convict, pleaded guilty to the crime in 1969.

The National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee, is built around the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated in 1968. The wreath on the balcony outside room 306 marks the spot where King was shot. Credit: © F11 Photo/Shutterstock

People throughout the world mourned King’s death. The assassination produced immediate shock, grief, and anger. African Americans rioted in more than 100 cities. A few months later, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1968, which prohibited racial discrimination in the sale and rental of most housing in the nation.

In March 1969, Ray pleaded guilty to killing King. Ray was sentenced to 99 years in prison. He later tried to withdraw his plea, but his conviction was upheld. Ray died in 1998. Although Ray confessed to King’s killing, many people doubted that Ray had acted alone.

Following the shooting, the owner of the Lorraine Motel kept King’s room, 306, as a memorial. In 1991, the motel became the centerpiece of the National Civil Rights Museum. The Memphis museum preserves King’s room in period detail. Events at the museum marking King’s death began at 6:01 p.m. on April 4, 2017, and will continue through the end of April 2018.

August 16, 2017

Forty years ago today, on Aug. 16, 1977, rock music icon Elvis Presley died suddenly at Graceland, his stately home in Memphis, Tennessee. One of the most beloved entertainers in American history, Elvis’s death shocked and saddened fans around the world. Elvis—the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll”—was just 42 years old.

Elvis Presley performs in Hawaii in 1973. Credit: © United Archives GmbH/Alamy Images

Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, in 1935. His talent, good looks, charisma, and sense of humor endeared him to millions of fans during his career, which began in 1954 with the hit record “That’s All Right, Mama.” A string of hits followed over the next 15 years, cementing his super-stardom. His biggest songs included “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Don’t Be Cruel,” “Love Me Tender,” “All Shook Up,” “Teddy Bear,” “Jailhouse Rock,” and “Suspicious Minds.” “Burning Love,” his 20th and last number-one hit, was released in 1974. Presley was also a movie star, making 31 feature films between 1956 and 1969.

Elvis Presley rehearses for a 1956 appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” Presley’s appearance on the TV show helped establish him as a national celebrity. Credit: UPI/Corbis-Bettman

Elvis was still at the height of his popularity when he died. In the 1970’s, Presley’s live performances in Las Vegas broke attendance records, and his tours—the last of which concluded less than two months before his death—sold out arenas throughout the United States and in other countries. But the pressures of being the King undermined his health. He began taking pills to sleep, to wake up, and to keep his weight down. Many people believe drugs hastened his early death.

Graceland, in Memphis, Tennessee, is the former home of rock music star Elvis Presley, who died there 40 years ago today on Aug. 16, 1977. The 23-room mansion is one of the most visited buildings in the United States. Credit: © Steve Vidler, SuperStock

Fortieth anniversary events in Memphis began Aug. 11, 2017, and run through August 19—a cumulative “Elvis Week” celebration. Members of the King’s huge fan club met for a commemorative dinner to kick off the week. Memphis—overrun with Elvis fans and impersonators—then hosted a 5K run, a memorabilia auction, panel discussions, and several rollicking concerts. Last night, thousands of people gathered for a candlelight vigil running several blocks around Graceland. Similar events will then finish the week, punctuated by an “ultimate Elvis tribute artist” contest. Events in honor of the King have taken place and continue to be held in many other places as well. On June 26, fans converged on the former site of Market Square Arena in Indianapolis, Indiana, where Elvis—in his by-then trademark white-and-gold jumpsuit—gave his final concert on that day in 1977.

Legendary blues guitarist and singer B. B. King died Thursday at the age of 89 in Las Vegas. He had been in home hospice care for two weeks after suffering from dehydration.

Legendary blues guitarist and singer B. B. King died May 14, 2015, at the age of 89. (c) Karen Pulfer Focht, LGI

With his electric guitar named “Lucille,” King helped develop the urban blues sound. This style of playing features wide vibrato, loud and ringing notes, and solos filled with piercing feedback. King was known as a great showman, popular with both audiences and musicians. He was a major influence on rock music, especially on British musicians who emerged in the 1960′s, such as Eric Clapton, John Mayall, and Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones.

Legend has it that King first named his signature Gibson guitar “Lucille” in the mid-1950’s after a woman who died in a fire. King was performing at a dance in Twist, Arkansas, when two men fighting over a woman named Lucille knocked over a kerosene heater that started the fire. King ran out, forgetting his guitar, and risked his life to go back and get it. He named the guitar Lucille, “to remind myself never to do anything that foolish.”

King acquired his own nickname as a disc jockey on radio station WDIA/AM in Memphis. He also performed on the station and on Beale Street, the site of many blues clubs in that city. He became known as the “Beale Street Blues Boy” and then “Blues Boy King,” which was shortened to “B. B. King.”

Riley B. King was born on Sept. 16, 1925, near Itta Bena, Mississippi, in a cabin on a plantation. He bought a cheap guitar at the age of 12 and taught himself to play. He heard and played the local variety of blues before hitchhiking to Memphis when he was 23.

King made his first commercial recording in 1949. His hits include “Three O’Clock Blues” (1951), “Everyday I Have the Blues” (1955), “Sweet Little Angel” (1956), “Rock Me Baby” (1964), and “The Thrill Is Gone” (1969). King was nominated for 30 Grammy Awards and won half of them. He was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in 1980 and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.

Other World Book articles:

• Popular music (1982-a Back in Time article)
• Popular music (1985-a Back in Time article)
• Popular music (1994-a Back in Time article)