Old Dentitions and Young Post-crania Sheep Burials in the Ptolemaic-Early Roman Animal Necropolis at Syene/Upper Egypt

Abstract

Excavations at the Ptolemaic–Early Roman animal necropolis at Syene/Aswan in Upper Egypt revealed the presence of more than 300 domestic animal skeletons. Sheep predominate in this assemblage, but dogs, cats, and cattle were ritually buried as well. Animals have been deposited in toto in shallow pits without prior mummification. Ongoing archaeo- zoological analysis of sheep shows some interesting patterns meriting a closer look. Methodologically the discrepancy between age estimates based on eruption and/or abrasion of teeth and the individual’s epiphyseal status is of particu- lar interest. To quantify this discrepancy, we compared recordings with those obtained from a modern population of known-age sheep: the Karakul population housed in the Julius Kühn Collection in Halle an der Saale, Germany. The rate at which tooth wear takes place in the different populations is evaluated and possible causal relationships discussed. Be- ing essential to reconstruct demographic profiles, an approach to estimate tooth-wear rate in ancient sheep populations will be presented.