Something Fishy

A Selection of Egyptian Fish and Artifacts

Abstract

In a fascinating display of continuity, a number of species of extant Egyptian fish have been identified in Ancient Egyptian sources. Deir el‐Medina records of fish deliveries list various species of fish by their Egyptian names, some of which were able to be mapped to known genera of fish, such as elephantfish (Mormyrus), upside‐down catfish (Synodontis), mullets (Mugil), and tilapia (Oreochromis, possibly O. niloticus) (Janssen 1997, 49).
These same fish have also been identified in the tomb reliefs of Ti (Saqqara, dynasty V) and Mereruka (Saqqara, dynasty VI), along with the fahaka pufferfish (Tetraodon lineatus) and the vundu (Heterobranchus longifilis) (Darby et al 1977, 360). These are only a select few species of fish, I have chosen to depict in my illustration, taking inspiration from the Ancient Egyptian material culture.