Ancient Mastaba Tomb of Royal Physician “Magician of the Goddess Selket” discovered in Sakkara
In the southern region of the Saqqara archaeological site, a joint French-Swiss archaeological team made an important discovery uncovering the mastaba tomb of the royal physician Teti Neb Fu from the Old Kingdom, according to a statement by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
This tomb, unearthed in the southern region of the archaeological site of Saqqara, known to contain the tombs of high-ranking officials from the Egyptian Old Kingdom, shows that medicine and magic were once equally revered, and expertise in both earned a long-dead physician to the pharaohs a place of honor among the ancient world’s most esteemed.
Dating back over 4,000 years to the reign of King Pepi II, this important find features exquisite carvings and vibrant artwork, including a painted false door and elaborate scenes depicting funeral offerings.
The sarcophagus found inside the tomb was also inscribed with the name of its occupant and his titles, according to the post. Because of the burial location in Saqqara, researchers knew he was important, but Teti Neb Fu’s official titles named him as the chief palace physician.
Teti Neb Fu, who held prestigious titles such as Chief Palace Physician, Chief Dentist, and Director of Medicinal Plants, also had a unique role as a “Magician” of the Goddess Serket, specializing in the treatment of venomous bites.
Credit: Official Facebook page of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
Additionally, he was known as the “Great Physician of Teeth” and “Director of Medicinal Plants”, suggesting that he led research and practical applications in the fields of dentistry and the use of therapeutic herbs.
Even though it may have been looted in the past, the mastaba still has many of its ornamental features.
The director of the archaeological mission, Dr. Philippe Collombert, said the walls are decorated with remarkable reliefs and inscriptions, including a complex frieze that displays the owner’s name and titles.
Among the most remarkable elements is the red-painted ceiling, which is intended to resemble granite blocks, a material commonly found in imposing buildings.
The titles and name of the doctor are also written in the middle of the ceiling. An additional noteworthy discovery within the mastaba is a stone sarcophagus, which has hieroglyphic decorations inside that offer more information about Teti Neb Fu and his accomplishments.
Inscriptions on the sarcophagus and art in the tomb showed the person buried there was once a powerful physician to the king. Credit: Official Facebook page of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
Mohamed Ismail Khaled, secretary-general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, emphasized the importance of this discovery, stating that the texts and drawings on the tomb’s walls unveil new insights into the daily life of the Old Kingdom.
This discovery strengthens Saqqara’s position as one of Egypt’s most important historical sites and contributes to its rich archaeological legacy.
Excavations in this area of Saqarra began in 2022, to unearth the graves of state employees for King Pepi who are buried near him and his wives, officials said.
Golden Tongues and Nails discovered on mummies from the Ptolemaic Period in Egypt
Archaeologists have uncovered tombs decorated with colorful inscriptions and ritual scenes, as well as unusual mummies and unique funerary objects, including 13 striking golden tongues and nails, at the Al-Bahnasa archaeological site in Egypt’s Minya governorate.
The Oxyrhynchus Archaeological Mission, led by the Institute of Ancient Near East Studies of the University of Barcelona (IPOA), under the direction of Ignasi-Xavier Adiego, has concluded its latest campaign with unique remains, which allow us to deepen our knowledge of funerary practices, religious life and monastic activity in Ancient Egypt.
Among the notable firsts, these are the first human remains and the first texts and ritual scenes of goddesses of their kind in the Al-Bahansa region. These artifacts, along with elaborate burial customs, provide valuable insights into Ptolemaic religious beliefs.
Dr. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, described the findings as “a major addition to the history of the region,” emphasizing their uniqueness to the Al-Bahnasa area.
Excavations at the discovery site.
Among the most remarkable discoveries are 52 Ptolemaic period mummies, 13 of which had golden tongues in their mouths, symbolizing preparation for the afterlife. One mummy had two golden tongues, and another’s fingernails were adorned with a gold plate.
Recovered from the same location were valuable items like a terracotta of the god Harpocrates, amulets featuring Egyptian deities like Thoth, Isis, and Horus, and a heart scarab in its original position.
Excavations also revealed the structure of a Ptolemaic-era tomb containing some 300 mummies. This tomb, with three burial chambers and a vaulted ceiling, is remarkable for its walls decorated with texts and polychrome scenes depicting funerary rituals and divine figures such as Anubis, Osiris, Atum, and Nut.
Some of these amulets combined the symbolism of multiple deities, an unusual finding in the region. In addition, four limestone sarcophagi have been discovered in the same context.
Dr. Esther Pons Mellado, the Spanish mission leader, explained that one of the discovered tombs includes a rectangular well leading to a main room with three funerary chambers.
One of the panels with decoration found, the boat of Ra.
According to Dr. Esther Pons Mellado, the Spanish mission leader, these chambers contained dozens of mummies, arranged meticulously, suggesting communal burial practices.
Another burial shaft led to similarly decorated chambers, one of which belonged to an individual identified as “Wen Nefer.” On one of its walls, the tomb owner is depicted with his family offering offerings to deities such as Anubis, Osiris, Atum, and Horus.
The ceiling is decorated with the goddess Nut, surrounded by stars and sacred boats carrying deities like Khepri, Ra, and Atum, against a bright blue background.
Set of amulets and gold scarabs.
The presence of a thin layer of gold on the face of a mummy, depicted as if embalmed by the god Anubis, demonstrates the delicate nature of the funerary work.
Figures of the goddesses Isis and Nephthys have the same golden finish. The tomb also housed four limestone sarcophagi.
The mission also noted that earlier excavations had already found a Byzantine basilica, a temple devoted to Osiris, and tombs from the Saite, Greco-Roman, and Roman periods.
Golden Tongues and Nails discovered on mummies from the Ptolemaic Period in Egypt
Archaeologists have uncovered tombs decorated with colorful inscriptions and ritual scenes, as well as unusual mummies and unique funerary objects, including 13 striking golden tongues and nails, at the Al-Bahnasa archaeological site in Egypt’s Minya governorate.
The Oxyrhynchus Archaeological Mission, led by the Institute of Ancient Near East Studies of the University of Barcelona (IPOA), under the direction of Ignasi-Xavier Adiego, has concluded its latest campaign with unique remains, which allow us to deepen our knowledge of funerary practices, religious life and monastic activity in Ancient Egypt.
Among the notable firsts, these are the first human remains and the first texts and ritual scenes of goddesses of their kind in the Al-Bahansa region. These artifacts, along with elaborate burial customs, provide valuable insights into Ptolemaic religious beliefs.
Dr. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, described the findings as “a major addition to the history of the region,” emphasizing their uniqueness to the Al-Bahnasa area.
Excavations at the discovery site.
Among the most remarkable discoveries are 52 Ptolemaic period mummies, 13 of which had golden tongues in their mouths, symbolizing preparation for the afterlife. One mummy had two golden tongues, and another’s fingernails were adorned with a gold plate.
Recovered from the same location were valuable items like a terracotta of the god Harpocrates, amulets featuring Egyptian deities like Thoth, Isis, and Horus, and a heart scarab in its original position.
Excavations also revealed the structure of a Ptolemaic-era tomb containing some 300 mummies. This tomb, with three burial chambers and a vaulted ceiling, is remarkable for its walls decorated with texts and polychrome scenes depicting funerary rituals and divine figures such as Anubis, Osiris, Atum, and Nut.
Some of these amulets combined the symbolism of multiple deities, an unusual finding in the region. In addition, four limestone sarcophagi have been discovered in the same context.
Dr. Esther Pons Mellado, the Spanish mission leader, explained that one of the discovered tombs includes a rectangular well leading to a main room with three funerary chambers.
One of the panels with decoration found, the boat of Ra.
According to Dr. Esther Pons Mellado, the Spanish mission leader, these chambers contained dozens of mummies, arranged meticulously, suggesting communal burial practices.
Another burial shaft led to similarly decorated chambers, one of which belonged to an individual identified as “Wen Nefer.” On one of its walls, the tomb owner is depicted with his family offering offerings to deities such as Anubis, Osiris, Atum, and Horus.
The ceiling is decorated with the goddess Nut, surrounded by stars and sacred boats carrying deities like Khepri, Ra, and Atum, against a bright blue background.
Set of amulets and gold scarabs.
The presence of a thin layer of gold on the face of a mummy, depicted as if embalmed by the god Anubis, demonstrates the delicate nature of the funerary work. Figures of the goddesses Isis and Nephthys have the same golden finish. The tomb also housed four limestone sarcophagi.
The mission also noted that earlier excavations had already found a Byzantine basilica, a temple devoted to Osiris, and tombs from the Saite, Greco-Roman, and Roman periods.
1.5-Million-year-old Footprints have Revealed the Co-Existence of two Ancient Human Species in Kenya
Thanks to a set of preserved footprints on the ancient shores of Lake Turkana in Kenya, researchers have uncovered the coexistence of two ancient human species more than a million years ago.
Estimated to be 1.5 million years old, fossilized footprints offer the first verifiable proof that Homo erectus and Paranthropus boisei, two different hominin species, coexisted in the same habitat. In addition to confirming that these species coexisted, scientists say this discovery provides a unique window into how they interacted and competed in their environment.
The more recent term “hominin” refers to a subgroup of the broader group known as hominids. All living and extinct species regarded as belonging to the human lineage that developed following the split from the great apes’ ancestors are referred to as hominins. This is thought to have happened between six and seven million years ago.
In July 2021, researchers uncovered a hominin footprint alongside tracks made by other animals, such as large birds. A more detailed excavation in 2022 revealed a 12-print trackway and three isolated footprints, along with 94 nonhuman tracks from ancient birds and hoofed animals in Koobi Fora.
Craig Feibel, an author of the study and a professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences and Department of Anthropology in the Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences., used his expertise in stratigraphy and dating to establish that these footprints were formed 1.5 million years ago.
The footprints belong to two species from the Pleistocene: Homo erectus and Paranthropus boisei. Although they were both bipedal and walked upright, they differed greatly in anatomy, indicating different behavioral and movement patterns.
A footprint hypothesized to have been created by a Paranthropus boisei individual.
He also determined that both sets of footprints were made within a few hours of each other, in soft sediments near the lake. While it is not possible to confirm if the two hominin groups interacted directly, it is clear that they shared the same habitat in a brief time interval.
Kevin Hatala, a biology professor at Chatham University, explained that the footprints were preserved in a “perfect zone of mud” near the lake’s edge, ensuring their survival under layers of fine sediment. “It’s hard to say exactly what they were doing,” he noted, “but they walked in the perfect area for their footprints to be made, which is very lucky for us.”
The species that left the footprints was determined by the researchers using comparative analysis and sophisticated 3D imaging. It was determined that Paranthropus boisei was responsible for the trackway of 12 prints, which featured a slightly spread big toe and a deeper forefoot strike. The three isolated footprints, on the other hand, were associated with Homo erectus because they showed a heel-to-toe motion resembling that of modern humans.
The footprints suggest that these species, with their differing diets and anatomical features, utilized the same habitat, possibly even crossing paths. Hatala emphasized that Paranthropus boisei, known for its robust jaws and plant-based diet, differed greatly from Homo erectus, which had a more human-like body and omnivorous diet.
The footprints are significant, Feibel said, because they fall into the category of “trace fossils” – which can include footprints, nests and burrows. Trace fossils are not part of an organism but offer evidence of behavior. Body fossils, such as bones and teeth, are evidence of past life, but are easily moved by water or a predator. Trace fossils cannot be moved, Feibel said.
trackway of footprints hypothesized to have been created by a Paranthropus boisei individual.
A new understanding of early human evolution is provided by this discovery, which is the first tangible proof of direct coexistence between two hominin species. By suggesting intricate relationships that influenced their survival and adaptation, the findings cast doubt on the notion that hominin species avoided one another.
In addition to offering concrete proof of the coexistence of two hominin species, this discovery poses fascinating queries regarding their interactions in terms of culture and reproduction. Paranthropus boisei went extinct within a few hundred thousand years, while Homo erectus survived for another million years. The reasons behind this divergence in evolutionary fates are still unknown to scientists.
Researchers found evidence of the use of medicinal herbs in the Grotte des Pigeons Cave in Morocco dating back 15,000 years
Morocco’s National Institute of Archaeology and Heritage has announced an important discovery that will enhance our understanding of ancient healing practices and shed light on humanity’s medical history.
Researchers have found evidence of the use of medicinal herbs in the Grotte des Pigeons Cave in Tafoughalt, dating back 15,000 years.
Since the cave of Taforalt, also known as the Grotte des Pigeons, discovered in 1908, there has been an ongoing series of excavations and researches at the site, which has provided archaeologists with new perspectives on the lives in prehistoric North Africa.
The site, which is regarded as North Africa’s oldest cemetery, was home to at least 34 Iberomaurusian skeletons from the later Stone Age (approximately 15,000 calendar years ago).
This new discovery highlights our ancestors’ inventiveness in using natural resources and deepens our understanding of ancient healing practices. The results of this important study were published in the journal Nature. The discovered herbs, particularly the “Ephedra” plant, form the cornerstone of this research.
In their study, the researchers investigated the presence and possible uses of Ephedra during the Late Pleistocene, based on the analysis of extraordinarily preserved plant macrofossils from archaeological deposits of about 15 thousand years old in a cave in northeastern Morocco.
Ephedra is a well-known medicinal plant, and the macro-remains of this plant associated with human activity discovered in this cave are the oldest ever recorded.
Ephedra plant’s fruits were found in a specific area of the cave, which was used for burial according to special funerary rituals. Direct radiocarbon dates on both Ephedra and the human remains indicate that they were contemporaneous.
Drawing showing location of in situ bones of Individual 14 (in blue), Barbary sheep horn core (in grey), stone with ochre (in dark grey and red), animal bones (in yellow), Ephedra cone bracts (as red spots), shell (as large green spot), limits of the burial pit (dotted line). Photo on the right side shows an archaeological Ephedra pair of cone bracts (author A. Freyne and J. Morales). Nature https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-77785
The researchers also interpreted the presence of Ephedra and its deposition at the burial site as evidence that this plant played an important role during funerary activities.
Studies indicate that human communities during that period relied on these herbs for therapeutic purposes, including treating colds and reducing bleeding.
It challenges accepted beliefs about the medical prowess of prehistoric people by proving that humans had comprehensive knowledge of how to benefit from plants 15,000 years ago.
Evidence of the oldest known surgical procedure was discovered in the same cave by earlier research, which found traces of surgery on a human skull. This suggests that the person who had the procedure survived and bore their suffering because of those herbs.
Research indicates that this procedure was carried out using sophisticated methods, suggesting a high level of medical knowledge.
This discovery is more than just an archaeological find; it provides a better understanding of human abilities to use herbs for medicine, reshaping our perspectives on ancestral traditions. Understanding how these people lived in harmony with nature and developed new ways to treat diseases demonstrates humanity’s adaptability and creativity.
Source: Morales, J., Carrión Marco, Y., Cooper, J.H. et al. Late Pleistocene exploitation of Ephedra in a funerary context in Morocco. Sci Rep 14, 26443 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-77785
The first and largest astronomical observatory of the 6th century BC discovered in Egypt’s Kafr El-Sheikh
The first and largest astronomical observatory of the 6th century BC discovered in Egypt’s Kafr El-Sheikh
Archaeologists in Egypt unveiled the first and largest astronomical observatory from the 6th century BCE in the Buto Temple at Tell El-Faraeen archaeological site located in Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate.
The discovery was announced on the social media account of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
The observatory, which was made of mud brick, was crucial for monitoring the movements of the sun and stars. This astounding discovery demonstrates the ancient Egyptians’ profound understanding of and proficiency with astronomy.
“It highlights the advanced astronomical knowledge of the ancient Egyptians, including their ability to determine the solar calendar and significant religious and agricultural dates,” said Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA).
The structure also gives an insight into the sophisticated techniques employed by the ancient Egyptians using simple tools, he added.
The place where the first and largest Egyptian astronomical observatory from the sixth century BC was found
The head of the Egyptian Antiquities Sector at the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Ayman Ashmawy, said that the astronomical observatory building covers approximately 850 square meters.
It consists of an entrance facing east where the sun rises, he added, with a central columned hall open in the shape of the letter “L” preceded by a huge, high wall of mud bricks with an inward slope, resembling the style of the Egyptian edifice known in temple entrances.
Ashmawy said that the mission also found five mud brick rooms likely used to store tools, four small mud brick rooms, and a small stone room representing the observatory tower.
Some of the objects found in the astronomical observatory.
Among the key discoveries is a rare slanted stone sundial, referred to as a shadow clock, of its kind from that era. This sundial is made up of a 4.80-meter-long row of straight limestone slabs. On top were five flat blocks of limestone, two horizontal and three vertical.
These slabs most likely had inclined lines on them that were used to gauge the sun’s shadow and angle, which made it easier to track the sun’s movements throughout the day.
Archaeologists also discovered a stone fixed to the floor of a circular chamber inside the observatory and two additional circular stones used to measure the sun’s inclination.
Some of the objects found in the astronomical observatory.
The work uncovered numerous artifacts, including a statue from the 26th Dynasty, a Merkhet measuring tool, and various religious items and pottery related to daily life and rituals, the ministry said in a statement.
The discovery highlights the value of Egyptian archaeological efforts in revealing new facets of the nation’s rich past and offers deeper insights into the scientific and religious practices of the ancient Egyptians.
Mystery behind Cleopatra’s tomb: Two mummies discovered in Egypt could help solve it
The mummies of two high-status ancient Egyptians discovered in a temple on the Nile delta may bring researchers a step closer to finding the remains of Cleopatra, the legendary Egyptian queen.
The mummies, which had lain undisturbed for 2,000 years, are in a poor state of preservation because water had seeped into the tomb, according to the Guardian.
But they were originally covered with gold leaf – a luxury reserved for only the top members of society’s elite – meaning they may have personally interacted with Cleopatra.
The male and female mummies may have been priests who played a key role in maintaining the power of the legendary Egyptian queen and her lover, Mark Anthony.
Also found at the site were 200 coins bearing Cleopatra’s name and her face, which would have been pressed based on Cleopatra’s direct instructions. The location of the long-lost tomb of Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII from the year 30 BC remains unknown, although it’s somewhere near the Egyptian city of Alexandria.
But this research team are convinced excavations at the ancient city of Taposiris Magna, which is marked by a temple that still stands today, will soon uncover the ancient couple’s resting place. Despite the fact researchers have been excavating the site since 2005, only a tiny percentage of the vast site has been explored.
The two mummies found inside a sealed tomb at Taposiris Magna, where digs are ungoing to oncover the grave of Cleopatra
The temple is located near Alexandria, the capital of ancient Egypt and where Cleopatra killed herself in 30 BC
The mummies were found in what is the first ever intact tomb to be opened at Taposiris Magna – an event that’s the subject of a Channel 5 documentary to be broadcast this week.
‘Although now covered in dust from 2,000 years underground, at the time these mummies would have been spectacular,’ Dr Glenn Godenho, a senior lecturer in Egyptology at Liverpool University, told the Guardian.
‘To be covered in gold leaf shows they would have been important members of society.’
One of the mummies was found wearing an image of a scarab, pained in gold leaf, symbolising rebirth. But the 200 coins bearing Cleopatra’s likeness links the pharaoh ruler directly to Taposiris Magna, which was founded in the third century BC.
The ‘prominent nose and double chin’ of the queen as depicted on the coins suggest she wasn’t as conventionally beautiful as the actresses that portrayed her on screen – most memorably by Elizabeth Taylor in the 1963 film ‘Cleopatra’.
Dr Godenho said that the tomb of Anthony and Cleopatra is expected to be a ‘way grander affair’ than this mummified couple.
‘Although we don’t know what Ptolemaic rulers’ tombs looked like because none have ever been firmly identified yet, it’s really unlikely that they’d be nondescript and indistinguishable from the burials of their subjects,’ he told MailOnline.
‘Add to that the fact that most consider the tomb of Cleopatra and Mark Antony to be in the vicinity of Alexandria rather than out here at Taposiris Magna, and all the evidence points to these not being royal mummies at all.’
Archaeologists searching for the tomb of Anthony and Cleopatra (pictured played by Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor in the 1963 film) have zeroed in on a site in northern Egypt
Dr Kathleen Martinez, an academic from the Dominican Republic, is leading the dig at the Taposiris Magna temple. After working there for over 14 years, Dr Martinez and her colleagues are more convinced than ever Cleopatra’s tomb will be found there.
Dr Martinez is seen reacting to the opening of the newly-found mummies at Taposiris Magna in the Channel 5 documentary, which will broadcast on Thursday.
After an initial limestone slab is removed, she says: ‘Oh my god, there are two mummies … See this wonder.’
Osteoarchaeologist, Dr Linda Chapon, working to conserve the two mummies found inside a sealed tomb at Taposiris Magna
Experts believe Cleopatra made plans for herself and Anthony to be buried at a temple called Taposiris Magna in order to imitate the ancient myth of Isis and Osiris
Cleopatra was Egypt’s last pharaoh and the ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, from 51 BC to 30 BC. Cleopatra and her Roman lover Mark Anthony may have been buried at the site 2,000 years ago because of her desire to imitate an ancient prophecy, Dr Martinez believes.
During her life, which ran from 69 BC to 30 BC, Cleopatra was known both as a seductress and as a captivating personality. She famously used her charms to first seduce Julius Caesar to cement Egypt’s alliance with Rome, and then to seduce one of his successors, Mark Anthony.
In order to fix herself and Anthony as rulers in the minds of the Egyptian people, she also worked hard to associate them with the myth of Isis and Osiris. According to the myth, Osiris was killed and hacked into pieces that were scattered across Egypt. After finding all of the pieces and making her husband whole again, Isis was able to resurrect him for a time.
Dr Glenn Godenho and Dr Kathleen Martinez inside Taposiris Magna temple near Alexandria in Egypt
Kathleen Martinez, who is leading the dig, believes the site was strongly associated with the myth of Isis and Osiris – a myth that Cleopatra often tried to imitate during her life
Martinez believes Taposiris Magna was closely associated with the myth as the name means ‘tomb of Osiris’.
The inclusion of ‘Osiris’ could mean it was one of the places where his body was scattered in the story. After Mark Anthony killed himself following defeat to Octavian but before her own suicide, Cleopatra put detailed plans in place for them both to be buried there, in echoes of the myth, Dr Martinez thinks.
The temple at Taposiris Magna. The opening of the first-ever intact tomb found at Taposiris Magna will be shown on Channel 5 this week
The inside of Taposiris Magna temple, where excavation work is taking place. The temple was established between 280 and 270 BC
She previously told National Geographic: ‘Cleopatra negotiated with Octavian to allow her to bury Mark Antony in Egypt.
‘She wanted to be buried with him because she wanted to reenact the legend of Isis and Osiris.
‘The true meaning of the cult of Osiris is that it grants immortality. After their deaths, the gods would allow Cleopatra to live with Antony in another form of existence, so they would have eternal life together.’
Doubts have been cast on the theory, however, as other experts believe Cleopatra was hastily buried in Alexandria itself – the city from where she ruled Egypt until her death, believed to have been caused by snake venom.
Polish archaeologists find graves of monkeys and calves in ancient animal cemetery in Egypt
Polish archaeologists have discovered over 200 graves of monkeys, dogs and cats in an animal cemetery from the 1st and 2nd centuries in Berenike, Egypt. They also found burials of calves, which – they assume – were sacrificed at the animal cemetery or a nearby religious building.
An international team led by Dr. Marta Osypińska from the Institute of Archaeology at the University of Wrocław in a consortium with the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology, University of Warsaw, returned to the unique animal cemetery from the 1st and 2nd centuries in Berenike.
Berenike on the Red Sea is an ancient port built by Emperor Tiberius shortly after the annexation of Egypt by the Roman Empire. For the Empire, it was an intercontinental ‘hub’ through which exclusive goods flowed from India, Asia, Arabia and East Africa.
Archaeologists have long suspected that the Third ‘Cyrenean’ Legion was also stationed in Berenike. The legion was famous for pacifying the uprising in Jerusalem in 70 CE.
The pet cemetery explored by Osypińska’s team was built at a time when representatives of the Roman elites appeared in the port, in the early 1st century CE. Family pets, including cats; dogs and monkeys were buried there. Before the last season, archaeologists had recorded over 500 animal graves in the area, including several graves of monkeys.
Last season, the team started research in a new location. Already on the first day it turned out that such an accumulation of animal burials had never been recorded anywhere before.
‘Over the course of two months, in a 5 by 5 meter trench, we recorded over 200 of them. Interestingly, monkeys, very rare elsewhere, were very numerous in this location’, says Dr. Osypińska.
The fact that their status was special and they were treated almost like people is evidenced by a different way of burying than in the case of dogs and cats. Each of these monkey graves is also a little different. ‘They were placed as if they were sleeping on their sides, with their paws next to their faces, wrapped in fabrics, covered with blankets’, Osypińska says.
Among animal graves, only monkey burials contain additional items. They are most often playthings: opalescent shells, rags, a cow’s tail, but also collars or harnesses.
Monkeys were quite often buried with their pets. In one of the graves from earlier seasons, researchers found a piglet, and very often the monkeys were accompanied by very young cats. In one case, the bodies of a vervet and a kitten were positioned to embrace each other. ‘There are many videos on the Internet showing that, for example, young rhesus monkeys love small cats. They play with them like with children’, Osypińska says.
She explains that in the 1st and 2nd centuries, Berenike was ‘the absolute edge of the world’. Centurions, i.e. officers and commanders of Roman legions, came there for six months, when ships with goods arrived.
‘They probably could not bring their families with them. I think that Roman matrons and children would not be able to live in this climate, it is a pure desert, without drinking water, nothing grew and still does not grow there. Monkeys, because they were so human-like, had a soothing effect and were a substitute for family. There must have been animals with which people established emotional relationships, which our findings confirm’, Osypińska says.
On the last day of this year’s excavations, archaeologists reached the bottoms of two huge pits. They found the burials of two calves. Both were buried with their heads smeared with a thick layer of ocher. The older calf had its head additionally covered with a large fragment of an amphora.
The researchers believe that they were the first ‘residents’ of the animal cemetery. They could have been sacrificial calves for the animal cemetery or a sacred object in the immediate vicinity.
This year’s research at the Berenike cemetery is a continuation of previous excavations. The discovery of monkeys and the identification of two species of macaques among them – the rhesus macaque and the bonnet macaque – was a sensation for archaeologists in 2020. Both live on the Indian subcontinent. Until then, scientists had not suspected that the Romans imported live animals across the ocean. The logistical challenge of such an undertaking seems impressive even today.
‘It was a shock for archaeologists. Previously, there had been reasons to believe that contacts were maintained with India, e.g. pepper was found. However, there was no clear evidence of this. Initially, the head of our Polish-American mission, Professor Steven Sidebotham of Delaware University was sceptical that the monkeys we discovered could have come from India. That was until his team found the second part of a certain sculpture in 2023. Four years ago they found its lower part and everyone thought it was Zeus. Last year, a few meters away from the original find, they discovered the head of Buddha. Later, kitchenware from India was also identified. The pieces of this puzzle began to fit together’, says Osypińska.
Her project ‘Non-humans in Berenike society’ is financed by the Polish National Science Centre. The Polish-American mission in Berenike is led by Dr. Mariusz Gwiazda from the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology, University of Warsaw and Professor Steven Sidebotham from the University of Delaware in the USA. (PAP)
