The Baboons of Ancient Egypt: An ever-present enigma

Egypt is a treasure trove of mummified remains, both human and animal. The vast majority of animal mummies consist of cats, dogs, ibises and birds of prey. They were given to the gods as votive offerings. Many were buried with grave goods similar to those of humans. A small minority were regarded as incarnations of deities on earth; such was the case for crocodiles who were associated with Sobek. Old-world monkeys, on the other hand, such as baboons, were rarer. They are associated with the gods Thot and Khonsu. They were often imported, since baboons do not naturally occur in Egypt, for ritual and religious purposes. However, little is known about the conditions in which these animals were kept. Around twelve sites are known where old-world monkeys would have been worshipped. Sites that contain mummified remains of baboons could provide insight into the conditions in which these animals were kept, however, such sites with primate mummies are even rarer. A few known examples do exist, such as Tuna el-Gebel, Saqqara and Gabbanat el-Qurud. <a href="https://medium.com/@sandeeoster17/the-baboons-of-ancient-egypt-an-ever-present-enigma-4a4bed291cea">Read More</a>