Why did cats allow themselves to be domesticated?

Were there Cats in ancient Egypt?

Two early Greek historians are often quoted in discussions of ancient Egyptian cats: Herodotus (484-425 BCE) and Diodorus Siculus (1st C BCE), although their accounts should probably be approached with some caution.

Are there cat cemeteries in Egypt?

Cat cemeteries include those at Saqqara and Dra Abu el-Nagga at Thebes, as well as those of lesser scale, such as at Abydos, Dendera, and the Dakhla Oasis. Mummies were abundantly produced in the Ptolemaic Period, circa 332–30 BC, but even in greater numbers into the Roman Period.

What is the history of the domestic cat in ancient Greece?

In the Late Dynastic Period, a highpoint is reached in the appreciation of the domestic cat, and ancient authors, such as the Greek historian Herodotus (484–425 BC) noted their importance. Images were being produced on papyri, as bronze and wood figurines, on sherds, as amulets in various materials, and in quantities as mummies.

Why are cat mummies important in Egyptian culture?

Egyptians dedicated cat mummies to the nurturing and dangerous goddess Bastet. Bubastis, the Delta city that was the center of worship of this goddess, is the origin of masses of cat mummies. Most of these were placed in rectangular or cat-shaped coffins or wrapped in linen and painted to resemble a cat.

Were there Cats in the Roman Empire?

Domestic cats were already found in various Roman villas and settlements in southern England. At Silchester, an of cat footprints. By the tenth century, the species appears to have been widespread, if not common, throughout most of Europe and Asia (Zeuner, 1963).

What is the history of cats in history?

They were associated with witches, who were also persecuted for their connection with them. After the seventeenth century, the history of cats changed once again. Breeding and having domestic cats turned into a fashion at the end of the nineteenth century. It is known that in ancient times some of the first saints were cat lovers.

Where were the first cat mummies discovered in Egypt?

Cat mummies discovered in early excavations at Bubastis were probably the first to be seen by Western explorers/archaeologists, but the cat cemetery unearthed at Beni Hasan (a site roughly 100 miles south of Cairo and known for its beautiful tombs), was carefully described by a Western observer.

When was the Pakhet cat cemetery discovered?

In 1888, near the rock-cut temple dedicated to the lion goddess Pakhet, a huge cat cemetery was discovered. A lengthy description of the discovery follows, as recorded by British professor W. M Conway:

What does Bastet symbolize?

Her emblem was a black Egyptian ankh cross with two cats on it. Initially, Bastet was represented as a cheetah goddess, daughter of the Sun god Ra. She was the protector of the Egyptian pharaohs as well as their vengeful goddess.

Why were cats important to the ancient Egyptians?

Bastet (Bast) Cats were very important to the ancient Egyptians and were even considered to be demi-deities. Not only did they protect the crops and slow the spread of disease by killing rodents, they were also thought to be the physical form of the goddess Bastet. Bastet was the goddess of protection, pleasure, and the bringer of good health.

What does it mean to donate a cat to Bastet?

Countless representations of a seated cat, cat-headed goddess or cat with kittens include dedicatory inscriptions addressed to Bastet. By offering such inscribed images, donors expressed their wishes for health and children or, more generally, life and protection.

How many cat mummies have been found in the catacombs?

In addition, thousands of cat mummies have been found at the catacombs of Saqqara. Cats who were bred to become offerings of this type usually died due to strangulation or the breaking of their necks. During mummification, the cat bodies would be dried and filled with soil, sand or some other kind of packing material.

How old was the kitten when the mummy was found?

The researchers did a radiograph-similar to an X-ray-of the mummy, to see under the wrappings, finding the small cat was actually a kitten, only about 5 or 6 months old.

Why was the cat cult important to ancient Egypt?

Cats in ancient Egypt. In view of the huge amount of cat mummies found in Egypt, the cat cult was certainly important for the country’s economy, as it required breeding of cats and a trading network for the supply of food, oils and resins for embalming them.

How many cats are there in Rome?

Rome is a cat haven, with an estimated cat population of 300,000. They’ve been recognized by law as a “biocultural heritage” of the city, and whenever five or more cats live together in a feral cat colony, they can’t be disturbed. The cat ladies in Rome are a formidable group.

How were cats domesticated in ancient Rome?

But by 300 AD, domesticated cats were everywhere throughout the Ancient Roman Empire. Initially, cats were kept to kill mice and rats in people’s homes, shops, and other buildings where they flourished. At first cats were not considered pets.

How common were Cat Bones in the Roman Empire?

Certainly, much greater numbers of cat bones are found in later archaeological deposits in Roman Naples. And yet by the mid to late 4th century AD, the presence of cat bones from excavated sites throughout the empire shows how common cats had become.

Why are there so many feral cats in Rome?

They’ve been recognized by law as a “biocultural heritage” of the city, and whenever five or more cats live together in a feral cat colony, they can’t be disturbed. The cat ladies in Rome are a formidable group. The ruins at Largo Argentina were discovered and excavated in 1929. That’s also when Rome’s feral cats moved in.

What are the different types of ancient Egyptian cats?

Broadly speaking, ancient Egyptian cats can be classified into two main types. These two types are jungle cat and African wild cat. Cats of both these types began to be domesticated during the Pre-dynastic Period. They earned their status due to various reasons such as the killing of mice and various pests in addition to killing snakes.

Do cats still live in Rome?

Today, they still do. Rome is a cat haven, with an estimated cat population of 300,000. They’ve been recognized by law as a “biocultural heritage” of the city, and whenever five or more cats live together in a feral cat colony, they can’t be disturbed.

How old are the cat mummies found in ancient Egypt?

An Egyptian archaeological mission recently found dozens of cat mummies in seven Pharaonic Age tombs, some dating back over 6,000 years, at a site on the edge of the pyramid complex in Saqqara, south of Cairo.

When were the cats mummified in the tomb of Vizier Aperel?

The tomb was established during the Old Kingdom of Egypt in the 25th century BC and reused later. The cats were probably mummified as tissue shreds were still stuck in their bones. Excavations in the Bubasteum area at Saqqara in the early 1980s yielded 200 cat mummies in the tomb of the Vizier Aperel.

Why are there so many mummified cats in Egypt?

X-rays have shown that some of the cats who have been mummified died from broken necks, this may be implying that the priests of the Temples killed them in order to cut down on the population and they were used for offerings to Bast. In the city of Bubastis, there are about three hundred thousand mummified cats.

How many mummified cats are there in Bubastis?

In the city of Bubastis, there are about three hundred thousand mummified cats. In ancient Egypt, when a cat died, the individuals who stayed in the house with the cat would go in mourning and shave their eyebrows.