On the Presence of Deer in Ancient Egypt: Analysis of the Osteological Record *

Abstract

One of the topics of dispute concerning the animal world of Ancient Egypt is the presence (indigenous or introduced) of deer. Though depicted on several occasions in (pre)dynastic iconography, osseous remains of deer from archaeological contexts have been rare. Excavations at Qantir/Piramesse in the eastern Delta produced a comparatively large sample totalling 35 deer bones. Most finds date to the late Eighteenth and Nineteenth Dynasties. Both cranial and post-cranial skeletal elements are present, implying the presence of living deer near Qantir. Based on the size of these bone specimens the taxonomic status of the animals recorded from the eastern Delta during the second millennium BC has been verified. The results summarised here permit a reconsideration of the issue of the presence of deer in Ancient Egypt.