Elephant

The Elephant in Ancient Egypt


 * Egyptian Name:**

//Abu// ("Ivory")


 * Hieroglyphics:**

Although native to Egypt in Prehistoric times, the African Bush Elephant and the North African Elephant died out very early in Egyptian history. Pharaohs traveled to Syria to hunt them as well as the Syrian Elephant, and it was recorded that Tuthmosis III killed 120 elephants. Elephant ivory was rarely used in Egypt - hippopotamus ivory was much more common. Live elephants and tusks were sometimes brought into the country as tribute from Nubia. During the Ptolemaic Period, the elephant was trained and used during war.

A large, exotic menagerie, the world's first zoo, was excavated in Egypt in 2009. Dating to 3500 B.C.E., among the numerous animals uncovered were the remains of two elephants. The newly excavated elephants had been buried lying on reed mats, and covered with linen. One of the elephants, a 10-year-old male, had eaten twigs from acacia trees as well as wild and cultivated plants from varied environments, suggesting it had been fed and kept for some time.

Both the North African Elephant and the Syrian Elephant are now extinct.

The Herbivores of Ancient Egypt