DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49270#0290
Ancient Egyptian Fishing
203
W. M. F. Petrie, Royal tombs of the earliest dy-
nasties, London, 1901. Pl. XXXV, 92 = 68;
XLIV, 12 = 70; XLV, 19 = 97; 20 = 96.
Extra plates, pl. IX a, 5 = 73, 74.
W. M. F. Petrie, Diospolis Parva, London, 1901.
Pl. XI, 4=1; 15 = 3; 16 = 4; 17 = 5;
18 = 11; 19 = 10; 22 = 2; XVI, 81a -
13; XX, 9 = 60; XXXII, 29 = 98; 30 = 99.
W. M. F. Petrie, Abydos, pt. 1, London, 1902.
Pl. LI, 20 = 216; 60 = 94; bottom = 233.
W. M. F. Petrie, Abydos, pt. 2, London, 1903,
Pl. Ill, 20 = 19, 20.
W. M. F. Petrie, Hyksos and Israelite cities
(double vol.), London, 1906. Pl. XXI B,
9 = 199; 10 = 196; 31 = 204; 33 = 194;
34 = 193; XXXVI C, 34 = 200, 201; 44 -
197; 45 = 198; 46 = 195; 47 = 203.
W. M. F. Petrie, Meydum and Memphis (HI),
London, 1910. Pl. XL, 24 = 119.
J. E. Quibell, El Kab, London, 1898. Pl. V, 5 -
246.
G. A. Reisner, The Archaeological Survey of
Nubia, Report for 1907-1908, Cairo, 1910.
Pl. LXV, a, 1 = 93; 14 = 90; b, 1 = 51;
12 = 91; 13 = 92; 66, b, 43 = 49.
G. Schweinfurth, Artes Africanae, Leipzig and
London, 1875. Pl. II, 17 = 84; X, 3 = 146.
G. Steindorff, Das Grab des Ti, Leipzig, 1913.
Pl. CXI (cf. CX) = 131, 132; CXII = 232,
243; CXIV (cf. CXIII) = 82, 83, 122, 123;
CXV = 244; CXVI =231; CXVII = 227;
CXVIII = 230.
J. J. Tylor, The tomb of Paheri, London, 1895.
Pl. V and VI = 166; VI = 155, 156, 157, 212,
222.
J. J. Tylor, The tomb of Sebeknekht, London,
1896. Pl. Ill and IV = 67, 81.
J. G. Wilkinson, The manners and customs of the
ancient Egyptians, ed. S. Birch, London,
1878, Vol. l,fig. 101 = 160; Vol. 2, fig. 365 -
46; 376 = 79; 377 = 78; 391, 2 = 238; Vol.
3, fig. 583 = 252; 585 = 251.
Let me here remark that in the notes to this paper I have made full citation of all
titles, except those listed above, on the first occasion of quoting: on all following occasions
I have used abbreviated titles.
§2. Economic importance. “The abundance of fish produced in the Nile was an
invaluable provision of nature in a country which had neither extensive pasture lands
nor large herds of cattle, and where corn was the principle production.” 1 In these words,
written more than two generations ago, Sir Gardner Wilkinson emphasized the impor-
tance of fish in the food supply of the Nile valley. Like most modern travelers, Wilkin-
son was impressed with the great quantity of fish consumed in Egypt, and recognized
clearly that in ancient, as in modern times, the 1 fish harvest’ — a^To^ as Aelian
apply called it2 — was an economic factor of great importance. It is true that, during
the height of the annual inundation, Nile fishing in the river itself is very nearly at a
standstill — the swiftness of the current then makes the manipulation of nets difficult;
the silt renders the waters impenetrable to the eye; the fish easily find plenty of natural
food; and ground hooks become speedily buried under a deposit of mud. But as these
conditions do not, at the most, prevail for as much as three months in the year, and as the
sudden fall of the river may be said to aid the fishermen almost as much as the inundation
1 J. G. Wilkinson, Manners and customs, vol. 2, p. 122. The first European writer of modern times to lay stress
on the value of the Egyptian fisheries appears to have been M. F. Wendelinus, Admiranda Nili, Frankfurt, 1623, p.
188 sqq., cap. 14, ‘Piscium in Nilo copia’.
2 Aelian, De natura animalium, ed. F. Jacobs, Jena, 1832, X, 43.
203
W. M. F. Petrie, Royal tombs of the earliest dy-
nasties, London, 1901. Pl. XXXV, 92 = 68;
XLIV, 12 = 70; XLV, 19 = 97; 20 = 96.
Extra plates, pl. IX a, 5 = 73, 74.
W. M. F. Petrie, Diospolis Parva, London, 1901.
Pl. XI, 4=1; 15 = 3; 16 = 4; 17 = 5;
18 = 11; 19 = 10; 22 = 2; XVI, 81a -
13; XX, 9 = 60; XXXII, 29 = 98; 30 = 99.
W. M. F. Petrie, Abydos, pt. 1, London, 1902.
Pl. LI, 20 = 216; 60 = 94; bottom = 233.
W. M. F. Petrie, Abydos, pt. 2, London, 1903,
Pl. Ill, 20 = 19, 20.
W. M. F. Petrie, Hyksos and Israelite cities
(double vol.), London, 1906. Pl. XXI B,
9 = 199; 10 = 196; 31 = 204; 33 = 194;
34 = 193; XXXVI C, 34 = 200, 201; 44 -
197; 45 = 198; 46 = 195; 47 = 203.
W. M. F. Petrie, Meydum and Memphis (HI),
London, 1910. Pl. XL, 24 = 119.
J. E. Quibell, El Kab, London, 1898. Pl. V, 5 -
246.
G. A. Reisner, The Archaeological Survey of
Nubia, Report for 1907-1908, Cairo, 1910.
Pl. LXV, a, 1 = 93; 14 = 90; b, 1 = 51;
12 = 91; 13 = 92; 66, b, 43 = 49.
G. Schweinfurth, Artes Africanae, Leipzig and
London, 1875. Pl. II, 17 = 84; X, 3 = 146.
G. Steindorff, Das Grab des Ti, Leipzig, 1913.
Pl. CXI (cf. CX) = 131, 132; CXII = 232,
243; CXIV (cf. CXIII) = 82, 83, 122, 123;
CXV = 244; CXVI =231; CXVII = 227;
CXVIII = 230.
J. J. Tylor, The tomb of Paheri, London, 1895.
Pl. V and VI = 166; VI = 155, 156, 157, 212,
222.
J. J. Tylor, The tomb of Sebeknekht, London,
1896. Pl. Ill and IV = 67, 81.
J. G. Wilkinson, The manners and customs of the
ancient Egyptians, ed. S. Birch, London,
1878, Vol. l,fig. 101 = 160; Vol. 2, fig. 365 -
46; 376 = 79; 377 = 78; 391, 2 = 238; Vol.
3, fig. 583 = 252; 585 = 251.
Let me here remark that in the notes to this paper I have made full citation of all
titles, except those listed above, on the first occasion of quoting: on all following occasions
I have used abbreviated titles.
§2. Economic importance. “The abundance of fish produced in the Nile was an
invaluable provision of nature in a country which had neither extensive pasture lands
nor large herds of cattle, and where corn was the principle production.” 1 In these words,
written more than two generations ago, Sir Gardner Wilkinson emphasized the impor-
tance of fish in the food supply of the Nile valley. Like most modern travelers, Wilkin-
son was impressed with the great quantity of fish consumed in Egypt, and recognized
clearly that in ancient, as in modern times, the 1 fish harvest’ — a^To^ as Aelian
apply called it2 — was an economic factor of great importance. It is true that, during
the height of the annual inundation, Nile fishing in the river itself is very nearly at a
standstill — the swiftness of the current then makes the manipulation of nets difficult;
the silt renders the waters impenetrable to the eye; the fish easily find plenty of natural
food; and ground hooks become speedily buried under a deposit of mud. But as these
conditions do not, at the most, prevail for as much as three months in the year, and as the
sudden fall of the river may be said to aid the fishermen almost as much as the inundation
1 J. G. Wilkinson, Manners and customs, vol. 2, p. 122. The first European writer of modern times to lay stress
on the value of the Egyptian fisheries appears to have been M. F. Wendelinus, Admiranda Nili, Frankfurt, 1623, p.
188 sqq., cap. 14, ‘Piscium in Nilo copia’.
2 Aelian, De natura animalium, ed. F. Jacobs, Jena, 1832, X, 43.