Conference paper: Food for thought? Considering the presence of zoomorphic figurines in Predynastic Egyptian burials
Elizabeth Brice (Speaker)
Activity: Talk or presentation › Presentation
Description
This paper explores whether the animals represented as zoomorphic figurines in Predynastic burial contexts dating to Naqada IA–IID (ca. 3,800–3,325 BCE) may be evidence for a novel Predynastic folk taxonomy, either relating to food and consumable products, or another phenomenon that has yet to be considered. This follows a long-standing belief that zoomorphic figurines in Predynastic burials are replicas of the real animals in the burial context. The specific purpose of their replication and its benefits for the deceased still require further study, particularly when we encounter animal subjects that are not typically envisioned as ‘food’. Their potential purpose in the burial context is then compared with zooarchaeological evidence for the partial and complete remains of animals in contemporaneous graves to examine whether zoomorphic figurines and faunal remains may be, in some circumstances at least, considered complementary in their funerary significance.
Period
16 Jun 2022
Event title
International Symposium on Animals in Ancient Egypt, the Middle Nile and their hinterlands (3rd : 2022)