As a University of Queensland researcher examined a 4600-year-old Egyptian painting last year, a speckled goose caught his eye.
UQ scientist Dr. Anthony Romilio said the strange but beautiful bird was quite unlike modern red-breasted geese (Branta ruficollis), with distinct, bold colors and patterns on its body, face, breast, wings and legs.
“The painting, Meidum Geese, has been admired since its discovery in the 1800s and described as “Egypt’s Mona Lisa,’” he said.
“Apparently no-one realized it depicted an unknown species.
“Artistic license could account for the differences with modern geese, but artworks from this site have extremely realistic depictions of other birds and mammals.” Read more.
This entry was posted by jbc on Saturday, March 13th, 2021 at 8:50 am and is filed under Tumblr.
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