GONE FISHING!

Joseph L. Thimes casts his rod in search of the techniques used by the ancient Egyptians to fish for food and for sport.

- Joseph L. Thimes

Fish formed a major part of the ancient Egyptian diet with catch from the Nile itself and from the Mediterranean and Red Seas to the north and east of the country. Fish provided the main protein source for most Egyptians. Methods of preparing fish as food included drying, pickling, boiling, or roasting.

In general, fishing methods stayed the same throughout ancient Egypt’s history. Fishermen cast hand-held nets from a boat, or slung a net between two boats (as shown above). Fish were also caught using drag nets from the shore, by angling (using line and hook), and were speared or caught in a small net in the shallows.

Fishing was well organised with fish farms and breeding grounds, teams of fishermen operating together to make a living, and the manufacturing of fish netting and traps. Fishermen toiled singly, in small groups, and in several squads. At the Old Kingdom workers’ village near the pyramid at Giza, a large facility processed sufficient fish to feed thousands of skilled artisans there. Thousands of fish bones, gills, fins, and heads were discovered, including the remains of Nile perch, an expensive fish which was caught by line and hook in the deeper Nile waters. A cheaper fish, the catfish, was caught in the Nile River basins when its waters receded.

What Fish Did They Catch?