Grasslands

Stretching towards the desert, gazelles and other wild fauna would graze in the grasslands of the valley. Humans brought their own animals to take advantage of the lush environment, but danger was still present.  Hiding amongst the grass, ready and waiting, lions and leopards waited to pick off the weak from the herd.

 

Although frequently seen in ancient Egyptian and Nubian art and iconography, monkeys and baboons were not native to the Nile Valley. They were imported as exotic pets.

 

Fragment of ceramic vase with painted depiction of baboons holding branches. Meroë, Sudan; Meroitic Period (542bc-350ad). E.8339a

Meroitic Pottery Fragment by Garstang Museum of Archaeology on Sketchfab

 

Limestone amulet of a squatting baboon, likely representing the god Thoth. Egypt; Late Period (664-332bc). E.9123

Thoth Baboon by Garstang Museum of Archaeology on Sketchfab

 

Many different types of gazelles made Egypt and Nubia their home, with the Dorcas gazelle still present in Egypt today.

 

Snout and eye from a faience model of a gazelle. Egypt; New Kingdom (1550-1069bc). E.170

Snout of Model of Gazelle by Garstang Museum of Archaeology on Sketchfab

 

Faience seal in the form of a crouching oryx. The stamp on the underside also depicts an oryx. Egypt; New Kingdom (1550-1069bc). E.5426

Crouching Gazelle Seal by Garstang Museum of Archaeology on Sketchfab

 

Lions and leopards, gone from the Nile Valley today, were once present in Egypt and Nubia.  The lion was seen as a divine force to both cultures while the leopard’s skin was sought for their priests to wear.

 

Limestone statuette of a lion representing the god Apedemak, the embodiment of ancient Sudanese kingship. Meroë, Sudan; Meroitic Period (542bc-350ad). E.8003

Meroitic Lion Statuette by Garstang Museum of Archaeology on Sketchfab

 

Faience amulet in the form of a lion. Egypt; Late Period-Ptolemaic Period (664-30bc). E.9333

 

Faience Lion Amulet by Garstang Museum of Archaeology on Sketchfab

 

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