Elites in Ancient Rome went to great lengths to advertise their status and wealth. Based on recent archaeological excavations in Egypt, at least some high-ranking military officials even showed off with their choice of pets. In the Journal of Roman Archaeology, researchers at Poland’s University of Warsaw described a nearly 2,000-year-old animal cemetery in the Egyptian port city of Berenike that includes the remains of multiple macaque monkeys. What’s more, the monkeys themselves may have their own animal companions.
Since its discovery in 2011, archaeologists have been excavating the cemetery near Berenike’s urban center. Experts have documented nearly 800 animal graves, but many of them aren’t typical pets like cats and dogs. In at least 36 cases, the bones belong to Indian rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). While archaeologists have previously documented a few similar examples of ancient Roman pet monkeys elsewhere, they genetically traced back to the Barbary macaques of Africa.
“The Berenike burials of monkeys of this species are the first unequivocal indication of organized importation of non-human primates from beyond the ocean,” the study’s authors explained.
A closer examination indicated at least some of the pet primates weren’t necessarily in the best of health when they died. Two rhesus macaque skulls had signs of malnutrition, possibly due to a diet lacking proper amounts of vegetables and fruit. However, this doesn’t mean the pets were intentionally mistreated. Given Berenike’s comparative remoteness at the time—the port is about 480 miles southeast of Cairo-–it’s more likely that the monkeys’ owners simply lacked reliable access to proper food.
Aside from the dietary issues, Romans tried caring for their pets in other ways. While only around three percent of the cemetery’s cat and dog graves contained accessory goods, 40 percent of monkeys were interred with items like snacks, collars, and iridescent shells. In some cases, the macaques even lay next to kittens and piglets, possibly the monkeys’ own pets gifted by the owners.
