Thoth, c. 644 BCE - 30 CE, 8 x 2 1/8 in. (20.32 x 5.4 cm), Bronze, Egypt, 8th century BCE - 1st century CE, Ancient Egyptians had a complex society, prospered in the arts, and advanced scientific practices. They also developed sophisticated systems of measuring and writing. The god Thoth, depicted here with the head of an ibisand shown in a nearby case in the form of a baboonwas revered as the god of knowledge, mathematics, and the sciences. He was also considered the scribe to the gods, recording the outcomes of the weighing of the hearts of the deceased, a ritual performed by the god Anubis in a spiritual realm, that determined whether or not the person was worthy of the afterlife.