No abstract

Known from a few representations in Predynastic Egyptian art, the secretarybird has otherwise been elusive, in the art of Pharaonic Egypt as well as the scientific discourse on iconographic imagery of birds in ancient Egypt. The author's studies of the animal decoration at the Temple for her doctoral dissertation identified three images of birds belonging most likely to the same species, depicted in the context of the expedition of Hatshepsut shown in the Portico of Punt. The zoological identification of the species as the secretarybird (another possibility is the African harrier-hawk) derives from an in-depth analysis of the bird’s systematics, appearance, distribution and habitat, as well as behavior, which are essential for proper species recognition and instrumental for understanding the rationale behind bringing it from the “God’s Land”. Iconographic features contesting this identification and suggesting a different species, that is, the African harrier-hawk, are discussed based on a combination of theoretical background, material analysis, on-site interviews with experts and the author’s personal experience with the species.

The project “Mammals in the iconography of the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut”, initiated by the author in the 2011/2012 season, encompasses a detailed documentation of the animals depicted in various parts of Hatshepsut’s temple in Deir el-Bahari as a prerequisite for in-depth research. The study follows a multi-disciplinary approach within faunal analysis, and is complemented with technological observations on the execution of relief representations from the temple. At this stage of the project, a general taxonomic identification of the animal representations is nearly complete and a further detailed study of each taxon has been undertaken. Both complete animals (mainly mammals for now) and animal raw materials were studied in addition to the contexts and scenes in which they appear.