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Ancient Egyptians traveled great distances to the magical Land of Punt to obtain quirky goods like incense and live baboons, but the true location of this wonderful place has been a mystery to scientists for over a century – until now.
A team from Dartmouth College set out to find what the ancient Egyptian called the ‘Land of God’ by tracing the geographic location of mummified baboons found in Egyptian tombs and temples believed to have originated in Punt.
The researchers analyzed 3,300-year-old mummified baboons discovered in Egypt and compared the specimens with tissue samples from modern animals living in parts of Africa.
Upon examination, the team found that several of the mummified baboons were born outside of Egypt and likely in Eritrea, Ethiopia or Somalia, narrowing Punt’s location.
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A team from Dartmouth College has set out to find what ancient Egyptians called the ‘Land of God’ by tracing the geographic location of mummified baboons found in Egyptian tombs and temples believed to have originated in Punt.
The ancient Egyptians believed that Papio hamadryas baboons were sacred animals and used them as symbols in art and religion.
This species was among those that were mummified in a sitting position with its tail curved to the right of its body.
Another species, Papio Anubis, or the olive baboon, was also mummified, but it was typically wrapped in a large cocoon in a way that reflects much less care.
However, the baboons were not native to Egypt, but were collected in different countries, specifically in Punt.
The researchers analyzed 3,300-year-old mummified baboons discovered in Egypt and compared the specimens with tissue samples from modern animals living in parts of Africa.
Upon examination, the team discovered that several of the mummified baboons were born outside of Egypt and likely in Eritrea, Ethiopia or Somalia, narrowing down the location of Pun
Ancient Punt was filled with exotic items like incense, gold, leopard skins, and live baboons, all of which were not found in Egypt.
Scientists speculate that Punt is located somewhere in the southern Red Sea region in Africa or Arabia, but scholars have debated its exact location for more than 150 years.
Lead author Nathaniel J. Dominy, Charles Hansen professor of anthropology at Dartmouth College, said: ‘The long-distance navigation between Egypt and Punt, two sovereign entities, was an important milestone in human history because it drove evolution of maritime technology.
“The trade in exotic luxury goods, including baboons, was the engine of the first nautical innovations.”
For the study, the team analyzed 155 mummified baboons discovered in Egypt with a focus on those from the New Kingdom period (1550 BC to 1069 BC) and the Ptolemaic period (305 BC to 30 BC. C.).
The ancient Egyptians believed that Papio hamadryas baboons were sacred animals and used them as symbols in art and religion (pictured). Scientists speculate that Punt is located somewhere in the southern Red Sea region in Africa or Arabia, but its exact location has been debated by academics for more than 150 years.
For the study, the team analyzed 155 mummified baboons discovered in Egypt with a focus on those from the New Kingdom period (1550 BC to 1069 BC) and the Ptolemaic period (305 BC to 30 BC. C.). Pictured are mummified baboons found in ancient Egyptian tombs
They also used tissue samples from 155 modern baboons from 77 locations in East Africa and southern Arabia to include all hypothetical Punt locations.
“Many scholars see the trade between Egypt and Punt as the first long sea passage in a trade network known as the spice route, which would continue to shape geopolitical fortunes for millennia,” Dominy said.
“Other scholars put it more simply, describing the Egypt-Punt relationship as the beginning of economic globalization.”
Baboons were central to this trade, so determining Punt’s location is important. For more than 150 years, Punt has been a geographical mystery.
“Our analysis is the first to show how mummified baboons can be used to inform this long-standing debate.”
The oxygen and strontium isotope compositions of the mummified baboons were measured using a method called isotopic mapping that estimates the geographic origins of specimens recovered from New Kingdom and Ptolemaic sites in Egypt.
Baboons must drink water every day to survive and their bodies reflect the oxygen composition of the water found in the landscape. The enamel of an animal’s adult teeth also contains the unique strontium composition of its environment when the teeth formed in the first few years of life.
The team decided to analyze strontium because it is a chemical element found in the bedrock and could lead them to the geographic location of Punt.
“As strontium erodes, its composition is absorbed into soil and water and enters the food web, the team shared in a statement.
“As the animals drink the water and eat the plants, their teeth, hair and bones, they get a geographic signature that reflects where they have lived in the past and most recently, respectively.”
Baboons must drink water every day to survive and their bodies reflect the oxygen composition of the water found in the landscape.
The enamel of an animal’s adult teeth also contains the unique strontium composition found in its environment when teeth formed in the first few years of life.
The results of the examination reveal that two of the mummified P. hamadryas baboons from the New Kingdom period were born outside of Egypt. The team notes that they most likely came from a place in Eritrea, Ethiopia or Somalia.
“In contrast, hair and bones have isotope signatures that reflect previous months (hair) or years (bone) of eating behavior,” the researchers shared in a statement.
“ Similar to strontium, the oxygen compositions (specifically, the isotopes) of water can also vary based on geographic location, but the researchers found that data for specimens in this category was inconclusive and only reflected specific values of Egypt. ”
The results of the examination reveal that two of the mummified P. hamadryas baboons from the New Kingdom period were born outside Egypt.
The team notes that they most likely came from a location in Eritrea, Ethiopia or Somalia.
The data also shows that the animals died shortly after arriving in Egypt, because their enamel and hair showed no signs of oxygen signatures from the country’s drinking water.
However, five mummified P. anubis species from the Ptolemaic period reflected strontium levels that are consistent with an Egyptian origin.
The team says this “provides tantalizing indications of a captive breeding program for baboons at this time, probably in Memphis, an ancient capital in Lower Egypt, northwest of the Red Sea.”
