Spoonbill: A Migrating Bird in Ancient Egyptian Sources

Document Type : Original Article

Author

The Higher Institute of Tourism and Hotels, (EGOTH) Ismailia, Egypt

Abstract

The European spoonbill is among the many migratory birds that arrive in Egypt every year. He appeared on the tomb's wall during the Old Kingdom, particularly during the 5th and 6th Dynasties. There were only a handful of scenes depicting it in the tombs during the Middle Kingdom. His presence in hieroglyphic inscriptions was rare, and his head was often depicted as a hieroglyphic phonetic symbol that had multiple meanings connected to its flat round tip. Moreover, he appears as a complete bird in the Pyramid Texts as a determinative. The marshlands in the Nile Delta, Sinai, Red Sea, and Fayoum have always been home for it. The spoonbill's uncommon appearance can be seen either perched on a papyrus umbel or standing by the clap-net. Fowlers frequently employed it as a decoy to attract other birds. In addition, spoonbill birds live in a harmonious relationship with other birds.
Keywords: spoonbill, migrate, hieroglyphic, bird, scenes

Keywords

{"sdg_fld":["4"]}

Main Subjects

International Journal of Heritage, Tourism and Hospitality
Volume 17, Issue 2
December 2023
Pages 15-25

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics