Comparison between Egyptian and Inuit hunting
| Criteria | Egyptian Hunting, Stockbreeding and Fishing | Inuit Hunting and Fishing |
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| Hunting | - Egyptians depended heavily on agriculture, animal hunting was an auxiliary activity
- Symbolic importance - Nobles spent their leisure time hunting wild animals for recreation, this activity was a symbol of courage and mastery over the animal forces the Egyptians believed they needed to conquer. - Small prey - Hunting in the marshes included wild birds, ducks and geese | - Large prey - The Inuit hunted walrus, caribou and polar bears.
- Hunting was the most important contributor to the human food supply, meat was a staple in the Inuit diet - They ate primarily fish, sea mammals and a few land mammals. These were made into stews, steaks, roast, sausage and jerky - Caribou skins was the warmest for northern winters and was used to make mitts, parkas, tents and blankets |
| Fishing |
- River fishing - simple reed boats and woven nets - By the 12th Dynasty, metal hooks with barbs were being used. - Small Nile perch, catfish and eels were among the most important fish - Fish had to be eaten immediately or preserved by salting and sun drying to avoid getting rotten in the hot weather. - Fish was a fairly common element of the Egyptian diet, despite the fact that they were often considered to be unclean by wealthy nobles, and priests were not allowed to eat it | - Large fish - The Inuit fished seals and whales
- During winter seals scratched holes through the iced water to breathe, hunters stood with a poised harpoon over these breathing holes, waiting for the seal to surface In the spring and summer, when the ices melts, seals are hunted from boats called kayaks - From the skins of seals, the Inuit people made kayaks, clothes, and footwear. |
| Pastoral activities | - The keeping of sheep and goats was not widespread since the country had little wild lands suitable for pastoral activities.
- Wool and leather were obtained from these animals, but was of secondary economic importance - The vast majority of the population were settled farmers, and very few were nomadic shepherds | - Climate and topography were completely unsuited for pastoral uses, and this activity was unknown |
| Domestic animals | - Cattle - Zebu, pigs and horned oxen were the most common domestic cattle in Egypt. They supplied milk,, meat, skins and fats.
Cattle were also used in agriculture to substitute manpower in ploughing - The domestic chicken made its first appearance in the New Kingdom, but only became common during the Late Period - Fattening or force feeding of ducks and geese was performed to obtain more meat and eggs | - The freezing temperatures and scarcity of vegetation prevented any animals being domesticated, except from the essential sled dogs used for transportation |
| Animal Transportation | - Donkeys were most commonly used for transportation, this is a slow animal, since speed was not of any importance
- Horses were introduced in New Kingdom, but were considered luxury animals, and only Nobles could afford to keep them - Camels were unknown in Egypt until the Late Period, and were introduced by the Persians - all of these animals where herbivores, and consumed grasses and agricultural by-products | - Sled dogs were used to pull a wheel-less vehicle on runners
- These dogs originated on the Asian continent, in present day Mongolia. - Endurance and speed was needed to travel long distances in a re length of time to avoid freezing in the cold. Sled dogs have been known to travel over 150 kilometer in a 24 hour period while pulling 40 kg. each. - Sled dog is a carnivore, since few grass or vegetation is available in the freezing Artic region |