El-Amra clay model of cattle
Encyclopedia
The El-Amra clay model of cattle is a small ceramic sculpture dating from the Predynastic
, Naqada I
period in Ancient Egypt
, at around 3500 BC. It is one of several models found in graves at el-Amra in Egypt, and is now in the British Museum
in London. The model is (at maximum) 8.2 centimetres high, 24.2 cm long and 15.3 cm wide. The model was made from clay, and fired at a low temperature before it was painted, however most of the paint is lost.
El-Amra shows four cattle
standing in a row, depicted with black and white markings, with horns turned in and downwards. The head of one of the cows is missing, as are various parts of horns. This model was placed in a tomb, presumably to represent a source of food available to the deceased in the afterlife. At this very early stage of domestication
Egyptian cattle were probably used mainly as a source of blood rather than for meat or dairy products. Traces of linen
survive on the model, suggesting it was either placed in the grave under a cloth, or completely wrapped in one.
The model was donated to the British Museum by the Egypt Exploration Fund in 1901 and was conserved in 1993 prior to being displayed in the Museum's newly refurbished Early Egypt Gallery (Room 64).
In 2010 the model was included as the eighth object in the series A History of the World in 100 Objects
by British Museum director Neil MacGregor
, broadcast on BBC Radio 4
.
Predynastic Egypt
The Prehistory of Egypt spans the period of earliest human settlement to the beginning of the Early Dynastic Period of Egypt in ca. 3100 BC, starting with King Menes/Narmer....
, Naqada I
Amratian culture
The Amratian Culture was a cultural period in the history of predynastic Upper Egypt, which lasted approximately from 4000 to 3500 BC. It is named after the site of El-Amra, about 120 km south of Badari, Upper Egypt. El-Amra was the first site where this culture group was found without...
period in Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
, at around 3500 BC. It is one of several models found in graves at el-Amra in Egypt, and is now in the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
in London. The model is (at maximum) 8.2 centimetres high, 24.2 cm long and 15.3 cm wide. The model was made from clay, and fired at a low temperature before it was painted, however most of the paint is lost.
El-Amra shows four cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
standing in a row, depicted with black and white markings, with horns turned in and downwards. The head of one of the cows is missing, as are various parts of horns. This model was placed in a tomb, presumably to represent a source of food available to the deceased in the afterlife. At this very early stage of domestication
Domestication
Domestication or taming is the process whereby a population of animals or plants, through a process of selection, becomes accustomed to human provision and control. In the Convention on Biological Diversity a domesticated species is defined as a 'species in which the evolutionary process has been...
Egyptian cattle were probably used mainly as a source of blood rather than for meat or dairy products. Traces of linen
Linen
Linen is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant, Linum usitatissimum. Linen is labor-intensive to manufacture, but when it is made into garments, it is valued for its exceptional coolness and freshness in hot weather....
survive on the model, suggesting it was either placed in the grave under a cloth, or completely wrapped in one.
The model was donated to the British Museum by the Egypt Exploration Fund in 1901 and was conserved in 1993 prior to being displayed in the Museum's newly refurbished Early Egypt Gallery (Room 64).
In 2010 the model was included as the eighth object in the series A History of the World in 100 Objects
A History of the World in 100 Objects
A History of the World in 100 Objects was a joint project of BBC Radio 4 and the British Museum, comprising a 100-part radio series written and presented by British Museum director Neil MacGregor...
by British Museum director Neil MacGregor
Neil MacGregor
Robert Neil MacGregor, OM, FSA is an art historian and museum director. He was the Editor of the Burlington Magazine from 1981 to 1987, the Director of the National Gallery, London, from 1987 to 2002, and was appointed Director of the British Museum in 2002...
, broadcast on BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
.