Ancient Egyptian Statue Demands Bread, Beer and Beef

Via Gawker, news of a nearly 4000-year-old Egyptian statue at a Manchester museum that has recently taken up a new hobby: silently spinning in circles inside its glass case. This time-lapse video, which shows ancient Neb-Senu rotating all day and then standing still — waiting — all night, supports the theory that vibrations from daytime foot traffic are causing the statue to spin. However, alternate ideas remain intriguing:

“In Ancient Egypt they believed that if the mummy is destroyed then the statuette can act as an alternative vessel for the spirit. Maybe that is what is causing the movement.”

No need to panic. As we all know from The Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, the key is always found on the statue: in this case, the statue’s back, where a series of hieroglyphics spells out “Bread, Beer and Beef.” Oh, the timelessness of human desire.