Excavations in March 2026 at an animal necropolis in the ancient port city of Berenike, Egypt, uncovered over 800 burials, including those of what exotic primates?

Recent excavations at an animal necropolis in the ancient port city of Berenike, Egypt, have revealed a fascinating glimpse into the lives of its inhabitants. Among over 800 burials uncovered, archaeologists identified the remains of several exotic primates: Indian macaques. This discovery, highlighted in reports from March 2026, sheds new light on the extensive trade networks and social customs of the Roman era in this bustling Red Sea port.

The presence of Indian macaques, specifically rhesus and bonnet macaques, in Berenike is particularly significant because these species are native to India, not Africa. This finding provides the first direct zooarchaeological evidence of live non-human primates being transported across the Indian Ocean to Roman Egypt, challenging earlier assumptions that Roman pet monkeys were exclusively African. Such long-distance importation of exotic animals underscores the sophisticated trade routes that connected the Roman Empire with the Indian subcontinent during the first and second centuries CE.

These macaques were not simply traded goods; evidence suggests they were cherished companions. Many were found buried with grave goods, including collars, decorative shells, and food offerings. Some burials even contained the remains of other small animals, such as piglets and kittens, alongside the macaques, leading experts to speculate that the monkeys might have had their own pets. The careful arrangement of the macaques in their graves, often described as being like "sleeping babies," further indicates the special bond between these primates and the high-ranking Roman military officers and elites who likely owned them as symbols of wealth and status.