Butchering Scene (Slaughtered Sacrificial Ox) (Primary Title)
Relief depicting a Butchering (Primary Title)
Unknown (Artist)
The ritual sacrifice of cattle was important in Egyptian religion and was frequently depicted in tombs. This relief shows the slaughter of two animals. On the left, two men prepare to sacrifice an ox: one holds a knife while the other holds a jar to catch the blood. On the right, a man shoulders a haunch of meat from a butchered ox. Beef was a luxury for most Egyptians, so this relief most likely represents a ritual rather than a market scene.
Old Kingdom Period
Adolph D. and Wilkins C. Williams Fund
Image released via Creative Commons CC-BY-NC
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