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Several animals were depicted in ancient Mediterranean. In Greece, Egypt, Cyprus, Crete and other kingdoms in Persia, animals were depicted for various purposes and meanings. Depictions were in different forms of art.
Most documented information in Egypt, Greece, Crete and Cyprus shows that animals were depicted mainly as statues and figurines. Some are common to all cultures while others are unique to one.
In Egypt, animals living around Nile were depicted although many people had not seen them. Hunters occasionally saw and caught them while hunting. The most dominant animals in Egyptian depictions were falcon headed giraffes and leopards with long necks (Dunn, 2011).
During the middle kingdom, dogs and monkeys were depicted on walls of tombs (homes) of high ranking officials in the kingdom (Edwards, 1977). Double headed bull was on some artifacts (Dunn, 2011).
In Crete, several animals were depicted on walls. The most common animals included goats, monkeys and birds. Several bronze artifacts in Crete had depictions of lions. There were several animals depicted on seals in ancient Crete.
Most seals had depictions of lions, cattle and monsters. Neopalian frescoes had depictions of lions and monkeys (Shapland, 2010). In his article, Kawani (1986) showed that the most common depictions in parts of Greece were large dogs, bulls and goats. Other common depicted animals were lions.
Purposes of wild animals depictions in ancient Mediterranean
Depictions on various surfaces had different purposes. The main purpose was to enhance religious connection with gods, and the dead. Sometimes depictions were used for aesthetic value. Others represent events or activities that had occurred.
Some were done for intellectual reasons. During Predidynastic period in Egypt, luxury objects showing scenes of fantastic wild animals were made for royal kings and other prominent people. Depictions which represented prestige were made on ivory plagues and knives handles.
In ancient Egypt, some depictions were done to create demonic animal not found in nature. Demonic were not considered evil but had the ability of protecting one from evil deeds. The ones found on ceremonial slates palettes, ivory plagues and knives handles represented inspired models from Mesopotamia.
During middle kingdom, animals represented class. They were found at homes of powerful individuals only. However, some artist did depictions out of curiosity (Dunn, 2011).
After hunting, prominent people made depiction of themselves hunting in the desert to act as reminder. Dogs depicted with features of wild animals increased prestige of the dog’s owner as a fierce, legendary or ferocious hunter.
According to Dunn (2011), some depictions were thought to poses demons and had magical protective powers which frightened malevolent beings. They were offered to young mothers.
The purpose was to protect them from demons which cause sickness. Surfaces of walls depicted with wild animals had scripts of sacred Osiris which showed that they were not considered evil.
Many people in Egypt thought Serpopard had the ability to attack other animals and protect them. And just like in Egypt, bulls were considered a source of protection in Greece (Edwards, 1977).
In various parts of Greece, sculptures of small dogs were made in buildings mainly for protection. Dogs were chosen because they were faithful. They were also perceived to be a connection between god, man and the dead.
In Athens, dog statutes were erected in front of tombs as guards. Statutes of dogs in several homes were erected to show that the owners were hunters Kawani, 1986). The purpose of some depictions in Greece was to strengthen cultures and ties between kingdoms.
Sculptures of bulls appearing in cultures of two kingdoms showed strong connection between them. Some of the artifacts were made by same artists or were copied from the other cultures.
Bronze and golden bulls were curved for aesthetic purposes. Some prestigious places including palaces had depictions of bulls with no religious purposes. Most of them were copied from Iranian depictions which were considered to have aesthetics value.
There was a great love for animals in Persia which was signified using animal depictions. Wild goats in Persia were a sign of royalty. Depictions of wild goats were common in buildings of royal families and wealthy people.
In Crete, depictions of lions showed that one or some groups of people were hunters. Seals depicted with images of lions were worn by individuals so that they can be identified as hunters (Shapland, 2010). It has been argued that seals were used in documents.
Owner of a seal depicted with a lion showed that he was as fierce as the lion. The seals represented characters of individual owners. Several individuals or groups of people who compared themselves to lions had depictions of this animal. Mycenaean depictions contained men tackling lions with daggers.
This in itself shows that lion hunting was an important ideology for warriors in Mycenaean. Depiction of lions was a sign of strength.
According to Shapland (2010), cattle were depicted more frequently than other wild animals because they had been domesticated. The artifacts reinforced multiple identities of cattle and their users. Various seals had depictions of cattle, goats and other wild animals being speared to show hunting.
These animals were hunted and eaten as shown in some seals. To emphasize on their activities, owners of talisman seals had fish and nets depicted on them to show that they were fishermen.
Depictions of wild goats on rocky landscape illustrated the place they used to hunt. Sometimes, goats were depicted together with women to illustrate females as deities. Various depictions of Minoan art had animals on varied landscapes which suggested a single assumption that the world had a lot to be discovered.
Depiction of various animals on seals in ancient Catalhoyuk was a sign that its people were religious. Various rituals were shown using wild animals on walls. Hunting activities were directly linked to Mortuary in Catalhoyuk. As a result, wild bull horns were depicted on tombs and burial buildings.
Furthermore, a depiction of wild bull and several hunters showed that many hunters were required to capture a bull. Social activities such as dancing, music and feasting were depicted by figurines of wild bulls accompanied with drums and music.
Meaning of wild animals depictions in ancient Mediterranean
Depictions on various surfaces had different meanings. Seals with lions depicted on them were used for economic transactions. Use.of lions on some seals meant they were used for legal exchange of property or services. Seals or fresco of lions meant that the owner was strong as a lion.
Depictions on gates of buildings were meant that people could identify places where rulers lived easily. Rulers considered themselves to be strong politically, physically and emotionally. This was depicted by lion’s images on their seals and frescoes.
Some depictions had lions attacking other animals like wild goats and cattle. This was meant to show that a lion was more dangerous than other animals. Some seals depicted with images of lions meant that the user had encountered lions (Shapland, 2010).
Depiction of monkeys on frescoes meant that they were under human control. In some villas, monkeys were depicted climbing trees to show their main activities. In Egypt, Serpopards meant that its owner was a long distant traveler. Griffin depictions for kings meant that they were powerful in ancient Egypt.
Desert animals on artifacts meant that its owner dwelled at the desert. Depictions of rare animals on artifacts meant success in hunting the animals. Lions were hunted and depicted on seals to prove the success. Domesticated animals like cattle and goats were not indigenous to Crete. Depictions showing them being speared, means that they were hunted (Shapland, 2010).
According to Dunn, (2011), depictions of several animals on walls in ancient Egypt meant that the owners were zoologists. Though not entirely true, some prominent people wanted to be known as zoologists or great hunters. Depictions of dogs with lion’s features were meant to make them stronger in their guardian jobs (Kawani, 1986).
Conclusion
In ancient Mediterranean, dogs, bulls, wild goats and lions were depicted. Lions were common because of their superiority in the jungle. On the other hand, wild bulls were considered to be aesthetically valuable. Cattle and goats were wild but later domesticated in Crete and other cultures in Mediterranean.
Depictions were generally used to protect individuals and communities against evil. Pride and prestige were common purposes of depiction especially for hunters and rulers. Some were used to pass information.
Meanings of depictions included successful hunting, dwelling environment, power, security and individual activities. The meanings varied from culture to culture but most of them were common.
Works Cited
Dunn, Jimmy. Beasts of Ancient Egypt. 2011. Web.
Edwards, Ionwerth S. Tutankhamun: His Tomb and Its Treasures. New York: Alfred Knopf and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1977. Print.
Kawani, Trudy S. “Greek Art and Persian Taste: Some Animals Sculptures from Persepolis.” American journal of archaeology 90.3 (1986): 259-26.
Shapland, Andrew. “The Minoan lion: presence and absence on Bronze Age Crete.” World Archaeology 19.3 (2010): 27-109.
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