CHILDREN from Anderston Primary School were given a sneak peek of a new exhibition on ancient Egyptian animal mummies that opens at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum tomorrow.

Gifts for the Gods: Animal Mummies Revealed features a range of objects including bound crocodiles, entombed cats and mummified jackals.

Billed as a myth-busting display, more than 60 mummies will go on show exploring how ancient Egyptians used and prepared animals in their millions as votive offerings to the gods.

The exhibition brings together highlights from Glasgow's archaeological collection alongside rarely seen pieces from Manchester Museum including cultural artefacts such as stone sculpture, bronze statuettes and 19th-century artworks.

Among the unique aspects is the use of imaging technology, such as CT scans and X-rays, to reveal the contents of the animal mummies.

Over the past decade, experts at the University of Manchester have examined more than 1000 mummies using these techniques.

A Discovery Zone in Gifts for the Gods: Animal Mummies Revealed will bring the subject to life for budding archaeologists and young Egyptology fans who can dig for their own mummy, learn about the process of mummification and experience life as an explorer.

Interactive attractions include a micro CT scanner where visitors can press a button and watch it scan a recreation of an animal mummy.

The exhibition will run until September 4.

Dr Campbell Price, curator of Egypt and Sudan at Manchester Museum, said: "Science has helped Egyptologists understand the scale and complexity of animal mummification – and why the mummies were as popular with pilgrims in ancient times as they are with museum visitors today."

Read more in the Evening Times tomorrow