Pet cats at the Early Roman Red Sea port of Berenike, Egypt
Abstract
The burial of animals is attested in Egypt from the pre-Dynastic period through to Roman times. This phenomenon is observed across different animal species and involves varied funerary practices, although mummification is the most significant. Against this background, a series of burials of small animals, under excavation since 2011 at Berenike, suggests a unique example of pet-keeping rather than the religious or magical deposits found in the Nile Valley.
Author
- Marta Osypińska
Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul Rubież 46, 61–612 Poznań (Email: archeozoo@o2.pl)