Scientific name Bos aegyptiacus Rank Species | Higher classification Oxen | |
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Similar Oxen, Mammal, Hays Converter, Lineback cattle, Randall cattle | ||
Egyptian cattle were a domesticated form of cattle kept by the Ancient Egyptians. They are of uncertain origin.
Role in Egypt
They were important to the Ancient Egyptians who put them out to pasture on land that couldn't be farmed on, either because it was too far from the Nile to irrigate or in the Nile delta (and thus too wet to farm). The Egyptians used them for food, milk, leather, and sacrifice.
Ancient Egyptian cattle came to be considered so important that many Egyptian gods were considered to have the form of cattle, notable deities being Hathor, Ptah (as the Apis Bull), Menthu (as the Bukha bull), and Atum-Ra (as the Mnevis Bull). Many were mummified.
During the New Kingdom the Zebu, hump-backed cattle from Syria were introduced to Egypt and the earlier form seems to have slowly been replaced by these new cattle.