Bos aegyptiacus
Encyclopedia
Egyptian cattle were a domesticated form of cattle
kept by the Ancient Egyptians. They are of uncertain origin.
. In the past the type was given its own species name, Bos aegyptiacus, but it is now regarded as part of the same scientific taxon
as other domestic cattle: either Bos taurus or Bos primigenius subspecies taurus.
Ancient Egyptian cattle did not have a hump. They either had large widespread horns, which arched first inward and then outward, or shorter horns which had the same structure. According to Egyptian art, they were coloured either black, brown, brown and white, white spotted, black and white, or white.
It is uncertain as to where Egyptian cattle originated, as some claim that they were acquired from the Levant
or Mesopotamia
while others claim that it was domesticated independently from a North Africa
n subspecies of the Aurochs
, Bos primigenius mauretanicus
. There is evidence for both sides as cattle had been domesticated in the Levant by the 8th millennium BC but excavations of early Holocene
western Sahara
show that indigenous cattle existed previous to the 8th millennium.
to irrigate
or in the Nile delta
(and thus too wet to farm). The Egyptians used them for food, milk
, leather
, and sacrifice
.
Ancient Egyptian cattle came to be considered so important that many Egyptian gods
were considered to have the form of cattle, notable deities being Hathor
, Ptah
(as the Apis Bull
), Menthu
(as the Bukha bull
), and Atum-Ra
(as the Mnevis Bull
). Many were mummified
.
During the New Kingdom
the Zebu
, hump-backed cattle
from Syria
were introduced to Egypt and the earlier form seems to have slowly been replaced by these new cattle.
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
kept by the Ancient Egyptians. They are of uncertain origin.
Sources and origins
The earliest evidence for them is from the Fayum region, dating back to the 8th millennium BC8th millennium BC
In the 8th millennium BC, agriculture became widely practised in the Fertile Crescent and Anatolia.Pottery became widespread and animal husbandry spread to Africa and Eurasia. World population was approximately 5 million.-Events:*c. 8000 BC—The last glacial period ends.*c...
. In the past the type was given its own species name, Bos aegyptiacus, but it is now regarded as part of the same scientific taxon
Taxon
|thumb|270px|[[African elephants]] form a widely-accepted taxon, the [[genus]] LoxodontaA taxon is a group of organisms, which a taxonomist adjudges to be a unit. Usually a taxon is given a name and a rank, although neither is a requirement...
as other domestic cattle: either Bos taurus or Bos primigenius subspecies taurus.
Ancient Egyptian cattle did not have a hump. They either had large widespread horns, which arched first inward and then outward, or shorter horns which had the same structure. According to Egyptian art, they were coloured either black, brown, brown and white, white spotted, black and white, or white.
It is uncertain as to where Egyptian cattle originated, as some claim that they were acquired from the Levant
Levant
The Levant or ) is the geographic region and culture zone of the "eastern Mediterranean littoral between Anatolia and Egypt" . The Levant includes most of modern Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and sometimes parts of Turkey and Iraq, and corresponds roughly to the...
or Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
while others claim that it was domesticated independently from a North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
n subspecies of the Aurochs
Aurochs
The aurochs , the ancestor of domestic cattle, were a type of large wild cattle which inhabited Europe, Asia and North Africa, but is now extinct; it survived in Europe until 1627....
, Bos primigenius mauretanicus
Bos primigenius mauretanicus
Bos primigenius mauretanicus, the African aurochs, once lived in the woodland and shrubland of North Africa. This subspecies of the aurochs is descended from the Indian aurochs, which migrated from the Middle East. It is unknown when the African aurochs became extinct...
. There is evidence for both sides as cattle had been domesticated in the Levant by the 8th millennium BC but excavations of early Holocene
Holocene
The Holocene is a geological epoch which began at the end of the Pleistocene and continues to the present. The Holocene is part of the Quaternary period. Its name comes from the Greek words and , meaning "entirely recent"...
western Sahara
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
show that indigenous cattle existed previous to the 8th millennium.
Role in Egypt
They were important to the Ancient Egyptians who put them out to pasture on land that was unfarmable, either because it was too far from the NileNile
The Nile is a major north-flowing river in North Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. It is long. It runs through the ten countries of Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Egypt.The Nile has two major...
to irrigate
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
or in the Nile delta
Nile Delta
The Nile Delta is the delta formed in Northern Egypt where the Nile River spreads out and drains into the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of the world's largest river deltas—from Alexandria in the west to Port Said in the east, it covers some 240 km of Mediterranean coastline—and is a rich...
(and thus too wet to farm). The Egyptians used them for food, milk
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
, leather
Leather
Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...
, and sacrifice
Sacrifice
Sacrifice is the offering of food, objects or the lives of animals or people to God or the gods as an act of propitiation or worship.While sacrifice often implies ritual killing, the term offering can be used for bloodless sacrifices of cereal food or artifacts...
.
Ancient Egyptian cattle came to be considered so important that many Egyptian gods
Egyptian mythology
Ancient Egyptian religion was a complex system of polytheistic beliefs and rituals which were an integral part of ancient Egyptian society. It centered on the Egyptians' interaction with a multitude of deities who were believed to be present in, and in control of, the forces and elements of nature...
were considered to have the form of cattle, notable deities being Hathor
Hathor
Hathor , is an Ancient Egyptian goddess who personified the principles of love, beauty, music, motherhood and joy. She was one of the most important and popular deities throughout the history of Ancient Egypt...
, Ptah
Ptah
In Ancient Egyptian Religion, Ptah was the deification of the primordial mound in the Ennead cosmogony, which was more literally referred to as Ta-tenen , meaning risen land, or as Tanen, meaning submerged land, though Tatenen was a god in his...
(as the Apis Bull
Apis (Egyptian mythology)
In Egyptian mythology, Apis or Hapis , was a bull-deity worshipped in the Memphis region.According to Manetho, his worship was instituted by Kaiechos of the Second Dynasty. Hape is named on very early monuments, but little is known of the divine animal before the New Kingdom...
), Menthu
Menthu
In Ancient Egyptian religion, Monthu was a falcon-god of war. Monthu's name, shown in Egyptian hieroglyphs to the right, is technically transcribed as mntw...
(as the Bukha bull
Bukha
Bukha is a wilayat and town in the Musandam governorate of Oman. The other wilayat or comunes in the region are Khasab, Daba Al Bayah and Madha. Khasab town is the regional center of the Governorate....
), and Atum-Ra
Ra
Ra is the ancient Egyptian sun god. By the Fifth Dynasty he had become a major deity in ancient Egyptian religion, identified primarily with the mid-day sun...
(as the Mnevis Bull
Mnewer
In late Egyptian mythology, Mnevis was an aspect of the chief god in the region of Heliopolis, Atum-Ra. The origin and meaning of its name is currently unknown.Mnevis was identified as being a living bull...
). Many were mummified
Mummy
A mummy is a body, human or animal, whose skin and organs have been preserved by either intentional or incidental exposure to chemicals, extreme coldness , very low humidity, or lack of air when bodies are submerged in bogs, so that the recovered body will not decay further if kept in cool and dry...
.
During the New Kingdom
New Kingdom
The New Kingdom of Egypt, also referred to as the Egyptian Empire is the period in ancient Egyptian history between the 16th century BC and the 11th century BC, covering the Eighteenth, Nineteenth, and Twentieth Dynasties of Egypt....
the Zebu
Zebu
Zebu , sometimes known as humped cattle, indicus cattle, Cebu or Brahmin cattle are a type of domestic cattle originating in South Asia, particularly the Indian subcontinent. They are characterised by a fatty hump on their shoulders, drooping ears and a large dewlap...
, hump-backed cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
from Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
were introduced to Egypt and the earlier form seems to have slowly been replaced by these new cattle.