Researchers believe they have uncovered the first clear example of a treasure the ancient Egyptians brought home with them from the legendary, lost Land of Punt. It is a 3,300-year-old baboon skull – a remnant of ananimal that was revered in ancient Egypt but was not native to the land of the pharaohs.
The Legendary Treasures of Punt
The ancient Egyptians wrote about the Land of Punt and depicted it as a prosperous location from 2450 BC to 1155 BC. They went to Punt, which they referred to as “God’s land,” to acquire gold, African blackwood, ebony, ivory, aromatic resins, wild animals, and slaves. One of the most famous artworks created about this location is the ‘Punt colonnade’ on Hatshepsut’s temple at Deir el-Bahri , demonstrating that her people brought her myrrh trees, gold, ivory, panther skins, and apes back from Punt.
The travels to Punt for treasures also demonstrate the ancient Egyptian’s nautical skills. Nathaniel Dominy, a primatologist at Dartmouth College and lead author of the new study, explained that “Long-distance seafaring between Egypt and Punt, two sovereign entities, was a major milestone in human history because it drove the evolution of maritime technology. Trade in exotic luxury goods, including baboons, was the engine behind early nautical innovations.”
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