The first comprehensive study of the range of plants and domestic animals exploited by the ancient Egyptians.

This facsimile edition of a much acclaimed volume brings back into print a major study of the evidence for the domesticated plants and animals exploited by the ancient Egyptians. The rise of agriculture must be amongst the most important steps that humans have taken on their long road to the present day and marked the beginning of sedentary life from the Neolithic onwards and the development of civilization. Of the earliest civilizations, Ancient Egypt remains a particularly useful field of study: the physical remains are preserved by the dry desert environment and the Egyptians have left us with an abundance of written and pictorial records which go back over 5000 years. Grasses, legumes, vegetables, fruits, domestic animals and pets are all considered in this comprehensive study. It is profusely illustrated from Egyptian wall paintings and reliefs, which provide us with a vivid record of the Egyptian’s use of plants and animals in their daily lives. Thirty years after its original publication, this groundbreaking volume remains an invaluable sourcebook for archaeologists in all fields and to anyone interested in zoology, botany and early agriculture.

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Sources of Figures
• Acknowledgments
• I. INTRODUCTION
  • Domestication and What it Entails
  • Hunters, Gatherers, and Early Farmers
  • Origin of Egyptian Domesticates
• II. SOCIAL ECONOMY
  • Demography
    • Agriculture and Local Economies
    • The Egyptian Agriculturalist
    • Herders
    • Agriculture and the Afterlife
  • III. EGYPTIAN GRAINS
    • Egyptian Wheats
      • Origins
    • Barley
    • Linguistic Evidence
    • Sorghum and Millet
    • Barn Grass
    • Rice
• IV. FIBER AND OIL PLANTS
  • Fiber Plants
    • Flax
    • Papyrus
  • Oil Plants
  • Olive
  • Sesame
  • Castor
  • Safflower
  • Linseed
  • Almond
  • Miscellaneous Vegetable Oils
• V. FRUITS
  • Palm Fruits
    • Date Palm
    • Doum Palm
    • Other Palms
  • Figs
    • True Figs
    • Sycamore Fig
  • Grape Vine
    • Temperance and Excess
  • Apple
  • Carob
  • Christ’s Thom
  • Persea
  • Pomegranate
• VI. MELONS, VEGETABLES, AND TUBERS
  • Melons
  • Garlic, Leeks, and Onions
    • Leeks and Kurrats
    • Garlic
    • Onion
  • Legumes
    • Lentil
    • Pea
    • Faba or Broad Bean
    • Chickpea
    • Lupine
  • Fodder Plants
  • Leafy Vegetables and Tubers
    • Lettuce
    • Celery
    • Radish
    • Cyperus Grass
• VII. EGYPTIAN CATTLE
  • Large Cattle
    • Egyptian Breeds
    • Cattle Herding
    • Secular and Religious Use
    • Cattle Cults
  • Small Cattle
    • Religious and Secular Use
  • Swine
    • Archaeological Evidence
    • Pork Avoidance in Ancient Egypt
• VIII. WORKING AND HOUSEHOLD ANIMALS
  • Donkeys and Horses
    • Donkey
    • Horse
    • Mules and Hinnies
  • Camel
    • Origins
    • The Camel in Ancient Egypt
  • Cat
    • Origins
  • Dog
    • Origins
    • The Dog in Ancient Egypt
    • Ancient Egyptian Breeds
      • The Pariah
      • Greyhounds: The Tesem and Saluki
      • Mastiffs
    • The Egyptian Attitude Towards Dogs
    • Deification
  • Monkeys and Baboons
• IX. THE BIRDS AND BEES
  • Domestic Fowl
    • Geese
    • Ducks
    • Doves and Pigeons
    • Cranes
    • Bustard
    • Chicken
  • Quail
• The Honey
• References
• Bibliography