Cats Ancient Egypt Facts
Lyons in 2010 to define which group of cats in the world had the greatest genetic diversity.
Cats ancient egypt facts. The two species eventually merged creating a new breed which was closely related to the modern egyptian mau. She was entrusted with no lesser duty than to protect her. The deity mut was also depicted as a cat and in the company of a cat. The diet the primary diet of wild cats includes mice rats snakes and pests.
Genetic studies were made by dr leslie a. Cats were praised for killing venomous snakes and protecting the pharaoh since at least the first dynasty of egypt. Lyons in 2010 to define which group of cats in the world had the greatest genetic diversity. Thus they were considered as the important animals which protected and save the people.
Several ancient egyptian deities were depicted and sculptured with cat like heads such as mafdet bastet and sekhmet representing justice fertility and power. Some goddesses could take the shape of a cat however. There were two main breeds of cat native to ancient egypt. Contrary to what some early historians believed ancient egyptians did not worship their pet cats.
Facts about egyptian cats 10. Animals were revered for different reasons. Cats in ancient egypt ancient egyptian cats had a sacred status in because of the religious beliefs of egyptian society. The goddess bast for example had the head of a cat.
12 amazing facts about cats in ancient egypt 1 the goddess bastet had the cat as her sacred animal and was usually depicted as a woman with cats head or an entire cat and defended ra god of the sun. Genetic studies were made by dr leslie a. The importance of cats in ancient egypt cats have been important to many civilisations throughout history and are still held in high regard today by many cultures however the symbolism of the cat in ancient egypt is certainly the most notable. Ancient egyptians worshipped many animals for thousands of years.
Skeletal remains of cats were found. Bastet represented beauty love joy happiness and was also the protector of humans. The relationship between cat and human throughout. Dogs were valued for their ability to protect and hunt but cats were thought to be the.
The history of cats in ancient egypt goes back to bastet a feline warrior goddess who was depicted as being half cat and half woman. Cats in ancient egypt were represented in social and religious practices of ancient egypt for more than 3000 years. There is no need to wonder that the ancient egyptian households liked to have a cat at home. The images on the sides of the coffin showed miss kitty making offerings to the egyptian gods.
The latter had a calmer temperament and so was more commonly domesticated than its wilder relative.