Editing Ancient Egypt (section)

====Animals====
[[File:Maler der Grabkammer des Sennudem 001.jpg|thumb|left|[[Sennedjem]] plows his fields in [[Aaru]] with a pair of oxen, [[Deir el-Medina]].]]
The Egyptians believed that a balanced relationship between people and [[animal]]s was an essential element of the cosmic order; thus humans, animals and plants were believed to be members of a single whole.{{sfnp|Strouhal|1989|p=117}} Animals, both [[Domestication|domesticated]] and [[Wildlife|wild]], were therefore a critical source of spirituality, companionship, and sustenance to the ancient Egyptians. [[Ancient Egyptian cattle|Cattle]] were the most important livestock; the administration collected taxes on livestock in regular [[Cattle count|censuses]], and the size of a herd reflected the prestige and importance of the estate or temple that owned them. In addition to cattle, the ancient Egyptians kept sheep, goats, and pigs. [[Poultry]], such as ducks, geese, and pigeons, were captured in nets and bred on farms, where they were force-fed with dough to fatten them.{{sfnp|Manuelian|1998|p=381}} The Nile provided a plentiful source of [[fish]]. Bees were also domesticated from at least the Old Kingdom, and provided both honey and wax.{{sfnp|Nicholson|Shaw|2000|p=409}}

The ancient Egyptians used donkeys and [[oxen]] as [[Working animal|beasts of burden]], and they were responsible for plowing the fields and trampling seed into the soil. The slaughter of a fattened ox was also a central part of an offering ritual. Horses were introduced by the [[Hyksos]] in the [[Second Intermediate Period]]. Camels, although known from the New Kingdom, were not used as beasts of burden until the Late Period. There is also evidence to suggest that [[North African elephant|elephants]] were briefly used in the Late Period but largely abandoned due to lack of [[grazing]] land.{{sfnp|Manuelian|1998|p=381}} [[Cats in ancient Egypt|Cats]], dogs, and monkeys were common family pets, while more exotic pets imported from the heart of Africa, such as [[Sub-Saharan Africa]]n [[lion]]s,{{sfnp|Heptner|Sludskii|1992|pp=83–95}} were reserved for royalty. [[Herodotus]] observed that the Egyptians were the only people to keep their animals with them in their houses.{{sfnp|Strouhal|1989|p=117}} During the Late Period, the worship of the gods in their animal form was extremely popular, such as the cat goddess [[Bastet (mythology)|Bastet]] and the ibis god [[Thoth]], and these animals were kept in large numbers for the purpose of ritual sacrifice.{{sfnp|Oakes|Gahlin|2003|p=229}}