Ancient Egyptians manipulated sheep horns, study reveals

Archaeologists uncovered the oldest known evidence of humans deliberately modifying the horns of domesticated animals. The remains of six male sheep with altered horns were found at the ancient Egyptian burial complex of Hierakonpolis, dating back to around 3700 BCE, indicating that this practice originated much earlier than previously thought.

According to Phys.org, a team of researchers led by Dr. Wim Van Neer, an archaeozoologist at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, made the discovery during excavations at Hierakonpolis. "We found that the horns had been manipulated to grow upwards, resulting in upright, parallel horns in some cases," Van Neer said. The horns showed signs of deliberate fracturing and repositioning, suggesting that the modifications were intentional.

The modified sheep were found in elite tombs, suggesting that the horn deformation may have been a distinctive element in the exhibition of power and wealth among the ancient Egyptians, as reported by New Scientist. The sheep were castrated males, larger than average, and unlikely to have been bred for consumption. The practice of altering the horns could have served to make the animals appear more impressive, reinforcing the elite's social and religious authority.

Phys.org reports that analysis of the skulls and horn core remains revealed that the horns had been fractured and tied together at the base to bring them into a parallel, upward position. Depressions found at the base of the horn cores and unusually thin bone in this area indicate the process of modification. "The unusually thin bone in the horn cores is usually the result of fractures," explained Van Neer.

Archaeology Magazine notes that while sheep remains have been found throughout Hierakonpolis, those with modified horns were only discovered in the elite cemetery. This marks the earliest evidence for this practice in livestock by humans. Prior to this discovery, horn modification was primarily observed in cattle through artistic representations dating to earlier periods. However, the Hierakonpolis sheep remains provide the oldest case of horn modification of livestock by humans, according to The Independent.

Phys.org reports that the practice may have been intended to evoke the addax (Addax nasomaculatus) with its upright spiral horns, symbolizing renewal of life and order. This would reinforce the idea that these animals were objects of veneration and that altering their appearance held religious or ceremonial significance. The burial practices at Hierakonpolis included elaborate tombs for the elite, containing wild and exotic animals such as elephants, crocodiles, ostriches, leopards, baboons, and wild cats. This indicates a desire to display power and control over nature.

"Maybe they wanted the sheep to look like addaxes from the Sahara? Or perhaps the animals were involved in rituals? For now, we can only speculate," said Van Neer.

The skull at the base of the horn core was fractured, repositioned, and tied together for a few weeks until the fractures healed, as described by Phys.org.

Horn deformation has long been practiced on cattle in Africa, even today. Various African agro-pastoralist groups, including the Pokot of Kenya, still use the same method of modifying horns, usually doing this to their goats when they are around one year old, as reported by Science Alert.

The earliest sheep in Egypt were of the corkscrew-horn variant, which naturally grew sideways out of the animals' heads. Over time, these corkscrew-horned sheep were adopted into hieroglyphics and depicted on jars, carved reliefs, and ritual vessels in ancient Egypt. By the Middle Kingdom, ammon sheep with crescent-shaped backward-pointing horns began appearing in Egypt, eventually replacing the corkscrew-horned variant.

This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq