Hoofprints of History: Equids and Dromedaries as Ancient Egyptian Working Animals at the First Nile Cataract

Johanna Sigl; Mariam Adel William Eskharoun

doi:10.31526/seas.2024.549

Johanna Sigl Commission for Archaeology of non-European Cultures (KAAK) of the German Archaeological Institute, Bonn, Germany
Mariam Adel William Eskharoun Egyptology Department, Luxor University, Luxor, Egypt

DOI: https://doi.org/10.31526/seas.2024.549

Keywords: Equidae, Camelus dromedarius, working animals, First Nile cataract, Aswan, Elephantine Island, zooarchaeology, pathology

Abstract

This study investigates the role of equids and dromedaries as working animals in the region of the first Nile
cataract from the beginning of the Pharaonic Kingdom until today. Analysis of faunal remains from Elephantine Island and Aswan reveals insights into considerations of the ancient inhabitants of the settlements for the
choice of beasts and the stabling of their working animals. Size comparisons highlight differences between
horses, mules, and donkeys, while butchery marks indicate processing for consumption and utilization of skin
and hair of both equines and dromedaries. Pathological changes in bones reflect the strains of work activities,
emphasizing the roles of these animals in ancient Egyptian society as key elements of trade and transportation.