College Town Conversations: Ancient Egypt and the Secrets of Sacred Baboons In-Person / Online
Join Nathaniel Dominy, Professor of Anthropology at Dartmouth College, for a discussion of his research on mummified baboons in ancient Egypt. This is a hybrid program, attend in person in the Mayer Room (no registration required) or by Zoom (register for Zoom invitation here).
Baboons were venerated in ancient Egypt, which is puzzling because baboons were never native to the region. Egyptian trafficking of living baboons over land and sea can be traced to the very origins of farming in the Nile Valley, representing a longstanding fascination with animals from distant lands. This cultural practice raises the possibility of using mummified baboons to map ancient trade routes and identify the geographic locations of two enigmatic kingdoms––Punt and Yam––both of which were known sources of baboons. This talk will discuss recent research with mummified baboons recovered from Egyptian burials and tombs, together with corresponding primatological fieldwork in Ennedi, Chad and across the Horn of Africa.
Nathaniel Dominy is the Charles Hansen Professor of Anthropology at Dartmouth College. A biological anthropologist, his research is focused on the ecology and evolution of primate sensory systems.
- Date:
- Thursday, April 24, 2025
- Time:
- 6:30pm - 7:30pm
- Time Zone:
- Eastern Time - US & Canada (change)
- Location:
- Mayer Room
- Online:
- This is an online event.
- Event URL:
- https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/gC0nrevVRWKI7rRkr6hyXQ
- Categories:
- Adult