New clue to the location of ancient Egyptian land of Punt

[Ishtar]

The ancient Egyptians talked about trading with a land of Punt but, so far, no-one's been able to figure out where that was. Some Egyptologists think it might be somewhere in Arabia, such as Yemen. However the painting of a giraffe, at a temple built by Queen Hatshepsut, tells archaeologists means that it's more likely to be somewhere in Africa, perhaps around Ethiopia, Eritrea or Somalia.

There are even suggestions that it could be further south on the African coastline, perhaps as far as Mozambique.

Now the idea is to examine two mummified baboons in the British Museum which the ancient Egyptians are thought to have brought back from Punt to keep as pets. By performing some analysis on the hairs of the baboons, they might be able to trace where they came from.

(My money's on India ... just a hunch!)

The surviving Egyptian texts give only vague references to its location. An example below records a voyage sponsored by the Pharaoh Ramesses III. Author Pierre Grandet wrote:

I built great ships ... which were equipped with countless crewmen. Laden with products beyond number from Egypt ... (and then) sent to the great Sea of Muqed, they reached the mountains of Punt without any misfortune befalling them.

Finding Punt

To solve the mystery of where Punt was, a team of scientists is turning to two mummified baboons in the British Museum. They date back about 3,000 years, a time when Egyptians were voyaging to Punt and acquiring the animals as pets.

One was found at Thebes and the other in the Valley of the Kings.

The team is conducting oxygen isotope tests on the preserved hairs of the baboons. Oxygen isotopes act as a 'signal' that can tell scientists where an animal is from.

"We have hair samples from the older mummified ones in the British Museum and depending on how the results look the curators are willing to give us bone samples," said Nathaniel Dominy of University of California Santa Cruz, who is a member of the team doing the work.

He said that bone is better for this test than hair because it grows slower and keeps its original oxygen isotope signature longer.

To aid in narrowing down the location of Punt the team is also performing oxygen isotope tests on samples of modern day baboons from Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Yemen, Uganda and Mozambique. If the oxygen isotope signatures of these baboons match their ancient counterparts the team will know where Punt was.

The other team members are Professor Salima Ikram, one of the foremost experts on animal mummies, and graduate student Gillian Leigh Moritz, also of Santa Cruz.

More to this story here

[Minimalist]

(My money's on India ... just a hunch!)

Long journey but apparently within their capabilities, especially as you can coast the whole way.

[PeterL]

Punt hasn't moved. it is still at the Horn of Africa. The exact ancient boundaries are unknown. Somaliland says that it was part of Ancient (scroll down first link).
http://visitsomaliland.com/about_somaliland.html
The extreme tip of the Horn is the Province of Punt in Somalia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:LocationPuntland2.png

[Digit]

Does the Giraffe painting give a clue to which Giraffe Ish?

Roy.

[Minimalist]

Of course, there is absolutely NO REASON why some ships could not have gone south down the African coast while other ships sailed eastward along the coast to India.

Ships can pretty much go wherever the water is deep enough to float them.

[Minimalist]

BTW welcome aboard, Pete.

[MichelleH]

Here is a direct link to Heritage Key and the story. There is video on animal mummification.

http://heritage-key.com/blogs/owenjarus ... -land-punt

[Ishtar]

Does the Giraffe painting give a clue to which Giraffe Ish?

Roy.

You mean there's more than one kind?

This very interesting pdf says that it was actually a giraffe hieroglyphic that was found in Hatshepsut's tomb next to a illustration of a ship being loaded up from Punt. Apparently, the hieroglyph was disfigured ... it doesn't say by who, probably some predecessor to Zahi ...to look like a dog, hence covering up the fact that Egypt traded with Africa, or so the theory goes. I'm not usually one for conspiracy theories ... until we get to Egypt, and then all bets are off! However, the pdf is from the "University of God", so who knows ...?

[Digit]

Several different kinds, and they are territorially distinct. Identify the species and you know where Punt was.

Roy.

[Minimalist]

Identify the species and you know where Punt was.

Assuming that the Puntines (!) did not import it from somewhere else. Trade rarely goes in one direction.

[Rokcet Scientist]

Several different kinds, and they are territorially distinct. Identify the species and you know where Punt was.

I doubt a disfigured 3,000 year old hieroglyph has enough 'resolution' to distinguish between a reticulated, Nubian, or Rothchild giraffe, Roy. If the difference was incorporated in the first place.
Besides: climates and climate zones have changed. So the giraffe's habitats probably have as well.

[Digit]

I would agree RS, but there's always a chance, which is why I asked.
And there's more than three according to some.

Roy.

[Rokcet Scientist]

Absolutely. There's also the Kordofan, Masai, South African, Thornycroft, and Nigerian giraffes. At least.