| To the ancient Egyptians, animals were
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| | part of the nuclear family. So devoted
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| created by the gods and given rights
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| | were these ancient people to their pets,
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| equal to that of mankind. They saw
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| | that upon the pet's passing, they would
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| animals not as their subjects, but rather
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| | often carry out the same rites and
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| as independent beings, and treated them
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| | rituals as they would for any other
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| with respect. [A]
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| | family member. Pets and sacred animals
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| The Nile served as a source of food and
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| | were mummified and put in special
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| was the most important factor to the
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| | cemeteries. Animals that belonged to the
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| agriculture of the region. Fish were
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| | Pharaoh's royal family were mummified and
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| plentiful and could be eaten roasted,
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| | buried with them so they could continue
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| boiled, salted, preserved, or simply
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| | in the afterlife together. The following
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| dried in the sun. Because the Nile would
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| | inscription for a well-loved dog was
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| flood annually, it revitalized the land
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| | found in a tomb dating from the 5th or
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| with water and fertile silt, enriching
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| | 6th dynasty:
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| the soil to grow wheat, fruits, and
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| | "The dog which was the guard of His
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| vegetables. Additionally, it provided
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| | Majesty. Abuwtiyuw is his name. His
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| thick grasses on which animals would
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| | Majesty ordered that he be buried, that
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| graze.
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| | he be given a coffin from the royal
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| The people of ancient Egypt were mainly
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| | treasury, fine linen in great quantity,
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| pescarian, meaning they would often eat
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| | incense. His Majesty gave perfumed
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| fish. The Nile supplied many types of
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| | ointment and [ordered] that a tomb be
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| fish, including: catfish, mullet,
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| | built for him by the gang of masons. His
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| tilapia, sturgeon, eel, carp, and perch,
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| | Majesty did this for him in order that he
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| which were all an important source of
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| | might be honored". [1]
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| nourishment. Along the Nile, there were
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| | For many years, animal mummies have been
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| restrictions on the types of fish that
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| | overlooked while research went on
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| could be eaten because of their
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| | regarding human mummies and other
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| connections with the gods. The Pharaoh
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| | treasures found in the tombs. The study
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| and other priests would abstain from
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| | of this previously neglected area of
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| eating fish altogether because it was
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| | Egyptology has finally changed, thanks to
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| forbidden by one of their deities as a
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| | the work of Dr. Salima Ikram, one of the
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| food reserved for peasants.
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| | leading experts in Egyptian funerary
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| Bread was their main staple, made from
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| | archaeology. Dr. Ikram is the founder and
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| wheat and barley. From time to time, they
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| | co-director of the Animal Mummy Project
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| supplemented their diet with antelope,
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| | at the Cairo Museum. This project has
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| which they hunted. Occasionally they ate
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| | shed new light on the past, revealing the
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| pork and goat, which were raised on
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| | techniques of mummification and the
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| farms.
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| | reasons for it. Regarding the latter, Dr.
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| The Egyptians also raised sheep, cattle,
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| | Ikram tells us four reasons why animals
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| geese and ducks. These animals not only
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| | were mummified.
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| provided them with food, drink, leather
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| | 1. They were mummified because they were
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| and skins, but also helped with their
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| | sacred.
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| daily lives. Oxen and cattle were used
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| | 2. They were mummified to please the
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| for plowing the fields, and other animals
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| | animal deities (i.e. as offerings to the
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| were used for trampling seeds into the
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| | gods).
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| soil, and eating unwanted grain.
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| | 3. The ancient Egyptians believed that
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| Birds were of extreme importance to the
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| | the afterlife included animals.
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| ancient Egyptians as well. Along the
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| | Therefore, they wanted their pets to
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| Nile, the bird-life included the falcon,
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| | continue with them in the afterlife.
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| kite, goose, crane, heron, pigeon, ibis,
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| | 4. A certain number of animals were
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| vulture and owl. Numerous birds were
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| | mummified in order to provide food for
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| actually kept in sacred flocks and some
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| | eternity.
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| were elevated in status to become temple
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| | These ancient tombs are time capsules
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| animals. From the vast collection of
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| | filled with ancient treasures, many of
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| ancient Egyptian artwork, evidence exists
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| | which we are still deciphering and trying
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| of several species of birds that are now
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| | to understand. Some of the tomb findings
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| extinct.
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| | have been items made of animal products,
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| Beekeeping began in Egypt around 2500 BC
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| | which were used in many ways. Bone was
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| in the Fifth Dynasty. Egyptians loved
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| | plentiful and the ancient Egyptians
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| honey and they would take great pains to
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| | fashioned it into jewelry and arrowheads.
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| cultivate it. They not only kept bees,
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| | Glue was made from animal hide and from
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| but they also actively went out and
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| | sinews. Feathers were used as ornaments.
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| searched for the honey of wild bees. They
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| | Twisted animal gut and sinews were used
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| would use bee wax for embalming,
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| | in the making of stringed instruments.
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| offerings to the gods, medicines, makeup,
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| | Ivory usually came from Nile hippos and
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| and as a bonding agent. They named the
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| | were used for carving combs and jewelry.
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| honeybee after the bull-like god named
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| | Egyptian burials often included sculpted
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| Apis because they believed it had similar
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| | clay and carved wooden figures, tools,
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| characteristics. (The historian Herodotus
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| | and utensils in hopes they would service
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| described this bull as being black, with
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| | the dead in the afterlife. These were
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| a white diamond on its forehead and two
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| | often part of a larger diorama or
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| white hairs on its tail.)
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| | miniature three-dimensional scene.
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| Horses were introduced much later into
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| | Because so many of these elaborate models
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| Egyptian society - around 1500 BC. They
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| | have been found in the tombs of the royal
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| were a status symbol for the owners and
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| | families, we've learned a great deal
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| were mainly used to carry chariots into
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| | about the customs of these people. For
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| battle and for ceremonial occasions.
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| | example, there are miniature models of
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| Horses were rarely ridden and if so, only
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| | butcher shops, scenes of counting and
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| by royalty. They were well cared for and
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| | inspecting cattle, and scenes of plowing
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| given individual names. Donkeys were the
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| | the fields. There are wonderfully
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| main beasts of burden. They were used as
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| | detailed wall paintings and reliefs
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| pack animals and for carrying heavy
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| | decorating the tombs, giving us further
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| bundles of grain from the field to the
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| | information about daily life in Ancient
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| threshing floor. Female donkeys, which
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| | Egypt. It is interesting to note that
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| produced higher-protein and sweeter milk
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| | much of this remained hidden for 4,000 to
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| than cows, were kept as dairy animals.
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| | 5,000 years.
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| Hunting was seen as a symbol of mastery
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| | As Robert Fulford has written,
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| over animal forces. Egyptians believed it
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| | "...Because the tombs were hidden so
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| was their role to conquer the land. Dogs,
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| | well, many of them remained intact until
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| resembling greyhounds, would help them
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| | about 200 years ago, when the modern
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| while hunting. There is evidence from the
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| | world began discovering them and prying
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| tomb paintings that the ancient Egyptians
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| | them open, one after another, in
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| sometimes took along cheetahs they had
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| | wonderment and excitement and gratitude.
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| tamed.
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| | And so our own civilization, through the
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| The hunters knew their animals well. They
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| | collaboration of grave-robbers, scholars
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| studied their characteristics, including
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| | and art lovers, has come to know far more
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| their diet and mating habits. This
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| | about Egypt than would otherwise be
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| knowledge brought about a great respect
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| | possible". [2]
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| for the animals and aided them in the
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| | _____ [A] [B] [C]
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| hunt. Oftentimes, they would hunt great
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| | [1] Giza Digital Library: Giza
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| cats, which were not always killed. [C]
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| | Bibliography of George A. Reisner
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| Smaller jungle mammals and wild cats,
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| | (1867-1942) Reisner, George A. "The Dog
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| such as the cheetah, were often kept as
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| | Which was Honored by the King of Upper
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| family pets. Ramses the Great is said to
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| | and Lower Egypt." Bulletin of the Museum
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| have had a pet lion.
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| | of Fine Arts, Boston 34, No. 206
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| Dog, cats, monkeys, and birds were also a
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| | (December 1936), pp. 96-99.
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