cow

Amarna cow slaughter

This painted limestone talatat originally came from the dismantled experimental capital of Akhetaten (modern Tel el-Amarna) founded by Akhenaten, but was used as building fodder in Hermopolis, likely during the reign of king Ramesses II. The piece depicts a bald man in a pleated wrapped kilt (shendyt) slaughtering cows. It is possible that the man...

Amarna calf

This talatat from Amarna depicts a farmer with his hand within a cow’s mouth, it is likely the farmer is helping the calf to digest its food. Agriculture was the most important thing to cultures of the ancient world, and Egypt was no different. A major part of the Egyptian religion or spirituality itself was...

Weeping cow

A weeping cow is milked by a man. A calf is investigating a ribbon or some kind of rope around its mother’s leg.This scene is depicted upon the sarcophagus of Kawit, queen consort of Pharaoh Mentuhotep II. Discovered within her tomb (DBXI.9) at Deir el-Bahari.Middle Kingdom 11th Dynasty c. 2061-2010 B.C.Now in the Egyptian Museum,...