Forming the herd : A re-examination of Predynastic bovine figurines from settlement contexts

Abstract

Since the early 20 th century, bovine figurines have been excavated from Upper Egyptian Predynastic settlements and cemeteries dating between Naqada IA–IIC/D (ca. 3800–3325 BCE). Though still rare finds for this period, they are currently the most commonly identi-fied zoomorphic figurine subject, far outnum-bering other wild and domestic animals. As a result of their greater quantity, bovine figu-rines have been the subject of numerous icon-ographic and contextual studies which have proposed that these objects were produced for religious rituals, ex-votos, and proxies of the real animal. Using bovine figurines from three settlements with similar features and archaeological contexts, namely el-Mahâsna, Zawaydah, and Armant, this paper provides another interpretation which places the evi-dence within an economic context, where the figurine acts as a record of the negotiations and exchanges of cattle. The analysis draws upon the visual and material attributes of the figurines within their broader archaeological context to compare with a hypothesis that was proposed by Wengrow (1998). The mul-tifaceted value of cattle as producers of pri-mary and secondary products, and indexes of wealth made them a significant animal to own ; thus, individuals may have documented the negotiation for live cattle and carcasses using bovine figurines.