Scientists believe that monkeys were treated as special pets and had a “semi-human status”, being buried with many of their belongings, just like Roman elites.
A new report published in the Journal of Roman Archeology revealed that Roman military officers stationed in Egypt’s Red Sea port of Berenike kept pet exotic monkeys imported from India, treating them almost as members of their own families.
The discoveries document the remains of more than 30 Asian primatesmaking them the first known non-African pet monkeys found in a Roman context, says .
The animals, buried in an animal cemetery dating back to the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, lived during a period when Berenike was home to a community of roman elitesincluding high-ranking army officers. Unlike monkey remains discovered previously at Roman sites, which were typically Gibraltar macaques from North Africa, the Berenike specimens included rhesus macaques and capped macaques, as well as a short-tailed macaque, a species native to southern India and the Indus Valley. Their presence indicates that Roman officials imported the animals from far beyond imperial territoryhighlighting the role of the port in long-distance trade networks.
Archaeologists say the burials reflect the deep emotional bonds between these officers and their pets. Several monkeys were buried with burial objects that appear to have been their personal possessions.
An early 1st century burial included a piglet, large shells, a woven basket and a folded cloth that resembled a rag doll. According to the researchers, these items that the researchers had belonged to the young monkey. Another monkey was buried alongside a dog and a kitten, while one of the graves even featured a tombstone similar to those used for humans.
Such treatment is in accordance with ancient texts. Pliny the Elder wrote that the Romans often considered primates to have a “semi-human status“, a cultural perspective that may explain the care shown in these burials. Researchers suggest that favorite objects were buried with the animals to help them in the afterlife, a practice generally reserved for individuals of high status.
Despite their affection, the monkeys’ skeletons show signs of malnutrition, suggesting that Roman owners had difficulty meeting the needs of the exotic species far from their natural habitats. Still, owning an imported Asian primate conferred significant social prestige. In Berenice’s elite circles, having such an animal served as proof of influential connections and an adventurous lineage. As the study authors note, someone walking through the harbor with an Indian macaque on a leash “would have basked in the glory” of being seen as an explorer of distant lands.
