Ancient Egyptian Fish & Fishing Practices

Many people in Ancient Egyptian Civilization relied on this river to survive and live along it. In the earlier times, they gathered their own foods along the Nile and stayed in close and small groups while traveling. Fishing scenes are often observed from remnants of ancient tomb paintings and depictions; what does this tell us about the way fish were viewed in Ancient Egypt (throughout the three kingdoms, with an emphasis on the Old Kingdom)? 

The act of fishing symbolizes more than the mere purpose of acquiring fish as a part of their daily diet; in fact, as will be noted later on, fish may not have been as integral to the diet as I would have previously suspected. For Egyptians from the Old Kingdom to the New Kingdom, fishing takes on a certain entertainment value which is discussed in further detail in a later section. There are also stories of fish being seen as a powerful creature which emphasizes its importance outside of its value as a food. 

I will begin with a brief introduction of the prehistory revolving around fish in Ancient Egypt, move on to highlight how fish and fishing progressed throughout Old, Middle and New Kingdoms, and conclude with a personal analysis of what this all might reveal about the people who existed throughout these periods. My main thesis for this study of fish and fishing in Ancient Egypt is that fish reveal certain beliefs of Ancient Egyptians by telling us how the society functioned in terms of fishing and consumption of fish. Ancient Egyptians formed their actions around fish to symbolize something larger and throughout this story map I will be emphasizing and building on this idea. 

The Catfish was one of the earliest fish to spawn in the Nile river as a people group known as the Wadi Kubanniya relied on this fish as a food source. This catfish is also known as Clarias and one of the reasons it was able to thrive along the river was due to its adaptability.

Egyptian fishermen were able to simply “grab” the catfish as they stood in the water; they used this fish as a food source that would sustain them in the long term. We can observe that even in ancient times, people knew there were ways to preserve their food and therefore have a sufficient stock and food supply that would last them longer. It shows the intelligence of these people but also that the geographical location of their proximity to the river worked in their favor.

Another area of the Nile referred to as the Delta was also important for shallow water fishing. During the seasons where the climate was evolving and existing savannas were becoming desert areas, hunters also followed the transition by fishing with the usual fishing tools such as spears and hooks. Lake Quarun serves as an example where its water level increased and was therefore relied on as an important body of water for fishing purposes. 

As time progressed, fishermen also built boats using papyrus reeds (the material that was readily available) and started fishing in deeper and therefore more dangerous waters. Rafts and canoes were constructed from a simple design that involved the binding of the papyrus with cords; this fishing transportation lasted from the Old Kingdom all the way to the Graeco-Roman time period. Speculations as to why these rafts endured such a long time without evolving much include a superstition involving the death of the god Osiris (god of the underworld). It was believed as an ancient superstition that Isis avenged Osiris’ death by fighting with the fens found in papyrus boats. Because of this, ancient Egyptians continued riding on the rafts in order to be protected against crocodiles that were found in the water. 

This shift in fishing technique may seem unremarkable at first; however, this change signifies a larger change for Ancient Egyptians as a whole. Using papyrus reed to build boats indicates another level of complexity, intelligence as well as creativity. The designs of the boats can also reveal a great deal about Ancient Egypt at this time. 

The fact that boats were now being used also meant that a more diverse selection of fishes were being brought back as a part of the harvest. Many more species have been discovered through archaeological studies as boats were invented in Ancient Egypt. The importance of papyrus is not only in its usefulness as a boat-making material but also the fact that fishermen could now extend their routes and go beyond the limits of their travel by foot. With the boat, another layer of status may also have been added as those who had the skills to construct a boat and utilize it for fishing may be better off than those without it. Fishing by boat may also allow fishermen to benefit from their harvest through trading and selling as they would have an increased number of fishes.

Another type of fish, the Mullet, was also one of the more abundant species known. The Mugil cephalus is still around today and is in fact popular as a commercial fish. Barbed spears and harpoons were also important tools for fishing and the special use of spears will be highlighted in a later section.

What we now know about the fishing practices and the importance of fish in the Old Kingdom we owe (mostly) to fishing scenes as depicted in tomb paintings. From images like a deceased Egyptian harpooning fish in the marshes (BOOK) to a unified body of fishermen working to take in the fish they’ve just caught in a net, the representations are indeed worth studying and can tell us a lot about how fishing was done. 

Mugils made their appearance in these tomb paintings more regularly than any other species of fish. As previously mentioned, they are a type of mullet found in large numbers in the Nile. This may indicate that the artists based these paintings on their familiarity with the Mugil and that Old Kingdom Egyptians came into contact with this species the most often. A list of other species that commonly appeared include Tilapia, Clarias (mentioned previously), Synodontis, and Mormyrids. 

After fishermen came out of the water with their fish, portions would be reserved to be sold in markets; however, most of the catch is saved for later consumption through the preservation method of salting. It’s important to note here that during the Old Kingdom period, royals did not normally have fish as a part of their diet. Fish as food was enjoyed by peasants and the lower classes compared to nobility and those who held high positions in the hierarchy. There was a taboo that existed especially amongst the nobility regarding the consumption of fish; thus it does not come as a surprise to discover that Old Kingdom Egyptians in the later periods  “used a fish in the writing of the word ‘bwt’ which means forbidden, religiously impure, or taboo” (Brewer 15). Fish were not to be seen as an offering, further emphasizing the belief that they were an unholy creature that one should not be associated with. In this case, it can be observed that a noble person’s cleanliness when it comes to their religious life can very much be affected by their interactions with fish. 

Compared to the Old Kingdom, where fish were a completely taboo creature for the nobles, the Middle Kingdom Egyptians became more open to fish being a part of their offerings in honor of those who have passed onto another life. In terms of the upper class’ consumption of fish, there was also an increase in becoming more accepting of the animal as food; “fish ponds were maintained in the Delta to supply [them] with highly prized mullets, and large sailing ships were employed to transport mullets to Upper Egyptian nobles” (Brewer 15). From this occurrence, it can be seen that fish become more important to the Middle Kingdom royals than they were to their predecessors from the Old Kingdom. The King, being the head and figure who represented the royalty, also participated in fishing. According to remains from a piece of text that dates back to the XIIth Dynasty, King Amenemhet II was encouraged “to take a fishing vacation” (Brewer 15) and large numbers of fish were also granted to temples. The organization involved around the fishing trips and incorporation of it into the nobles’ lives indicates that fish started to have a more regular presence rather than a sacred one that was more present in the Old Kingdom. This change in the way that fish existed alongside people is also significant as it shows that more traditional beliefs may have become less important. Many of the fishing scenes that we have been able to study now also come from tomb paintings done during the Middle Kingdom. 

As we transition to the New Kingdom, Egyptians begin to consume even more fish than in the previous periods. Eating fish became increasingly normal as a part of the everyday routine as rations were given out to troops and laborers. Amongst these laborers included artisans who were part of producing tombs; they were thanked for the work they did through a good amount of fish to enjoy, including species named previously such as Tilapia, Mormyrus, and Synodontis. Meanwhile, although consuming fish becomes more acceptable and practiced, other restrictions to maintain a “ritually pure” (Brewer 16) state of being may still have been followed. On certain calendar days that were marked, Egyptians were not allowed to have fish as a part of their meals. The veneration of fish also endured throughout the rise and fall of these kingdoms through practices such as the mummification of fish which were even worshipped later on. Most commonly seen as mummified were the species Lates and these fish would be filled with mud in order for it to retain a rounded and full shape. In this way, fish symbolize something untouchable, a presence that should be feared and even revered. Ancient Egyptians throughout the different Kingdoms, even into the New Kingdom, share the common belief that fish were a creature that played a special role in their religion. By treating it almost as if it were a god the Egyptians recognized the value in this creature and thus formed beliefs that revolved around this veneration. 

Swamp hunting was a popular way for Ancient Egyptians to stay active and participate in an activity that can often be competitive as well as demanding of a fit physique. For this reason, the upper class can be seen in depictions engaging in swamp hunting with their spears in hand. It was initially a form of leisure that only the Pharaoh could enjoy; this was not the traditional way that fishermen amongst the lower class would acquire their fish. It also had an element of sports incorporated, as the spear indicates a heaviness that required strength and even agility when actually hunting. The treatment of fishing as an activity for free time and fitness indicates that this was a luxury only available to the upper class as recreation. When swamp hunting is depicted on a tomb, it may be to show one’s triumph over death and as a way to defend oneself against the potential dangers that roamed the underworld.

I found it especially interesting that fish were so venerated by Ancient Egyptians throughout the three kingdoms and even starting before that. Looking at this from so many centuries later, fish are not that special to me. I usually don’t think twice when I am about to have fish as a part of a meal, never mind associating it with a holiness that should be feared. The fact that there was a taboo regarding eating fish means that fish held an important role in the way people lived their lives. It had enough power to dictate what Ancient Egyptians should and should not do and especially so for the nobles who seem to have followed religious beliefs strictly. Regarding the differences between the upper class’ and lower class’ diet with fish consumption, I can’t help but wonder why there was a distinction. Perhaps one reason is that fish were found to be an abundant natural resource and thus the lower class could more easily rely on it as a stable part of their diet. The upper class could afford to reject eating fish because they had more access to a variety of foods and thus their dependency on fish was flexible. Overall, the relationship that lower and upper classes had with fish show the social stratifications that were present even so long ago in historical times. With the formation of a hierarchy and a religious system imposed, more divide was seen in how foods like fish were consumed.

Bates, Oric. Ancient Egyptian Fishing. HathiTrust. Accessed 19 Dec. 2021.

Brewer, Douglas J., and Renee F. Friedman. Fish and Fishing in Ancient Egypt. England, 1989.

Brier, Bob, and M.V.L. Bennett. "Autopsies on Fish Mummies: Possible Identification of the Classical Phagrus." The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology. SAGE Journals Online, journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/030751337906500122. Accessed 18 Dec. 2021.

Decker, Wolfgang. Sports and Games of Ancient Egypt. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt211qv81.11. Accessed 19 Dec. 2021.

Fagan, Brian. Fishing : How the Sea Fed Civilization. Yale UP, 2017.

Nekhebu Spearing Fish.

Remains of Ancient Egyptian Fishing Scene. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City.

Sahrhage, Dietrich. "Fishing in Ancient Egypt." Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures, 2008. Springer, link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007%2F978-1-4020-4425-0_8591#howtocite. Accessed 19 Dec. 2021.

Smith, William Stevenson. "The Judge Goes Fishing." Bulletin of the Museum of Fine Arts, vol. 56. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/4171278?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents. Accessed 18 Dec. 2021.

Stein, Kenneth J. "Fishing in Ancient Egypt." Fishing in Ancient Egypt, therockyriver.com/fishing-in-ancient-egypt/. Accessed 18 Dec. 2021.