This stela of painted limestone features an unidentified couple paying heed to "The Cat of the God Re" and "The Great Cat, the Peaceful One, in his Perfect Name of Atum." It was discovered in former Deir el-Medina.
Submitted by Tank Green on Wed, 03/25/2009 - 11:35
Origin of the Species
Ancient Egypt was the first culture to domesticate cats, between 4,000 to 3,500 years ago, and has long been associated with the animal. Some have suggested that cats were introduced to Egypt from Iran. However, archaeologists have found the remains of a cat in a burial mound in Mostagedda (near Asyut) which dates to around 6,000 years ago, so it is much more likely that cats are indigenous to Egypt. Of the two breeds known to have existed – the African wildcat (felis silvestris lybica) and the jungle cat (felis chaus) – it is said that felis silvestris lybica was more commonly domesticated, since it had the more suitable temperament. Over time, domesticated cats became smaller in both body and brain size and more colourful, and it is said that most of the world’s domesticated felines are of Egyptian ancestry.
