Archaeology & History

Roman officers kept a surprising pet as a symbol of their status

By T.K. Randall
December 11, 2025

Image: Roman Legionnaire
Credit: Rennett Stowe / CC BY 2.0 (adapted) Archaeologists excavating an ancient animal cemetery in Berenike on the east coast of Egypt have made a rather intriguing discovery - 35 monkey burials dating back to the first and second centuries CE.

The cemetery itself contains more than 800 burials and was discovered in 2011.

According to the research, the monkeys - thought to be from a species of macaque from India - were most likely kept as pets and as a symbol of status by high-ranking Roman military officers who happened to be living in the area at the time.

"The Berenike burials of monkeys of this species are the first unequivocal indication of organized importation of non-human primates from beyond the ocean," the researchers wrote.To determine the significance of the monkeys, the team looked at the items that had been buried with them - such as restraining collars - which showed that they had been kept as pets.

Evidence of luxury items and food inside the burials also suggested a high status for the animals.

"Owning monkeys may have been an element of identity, a distinct marker of one's elite place in local society," the researchers wrote.

Unfortunately, though, evidence of malnutrition among the monkey burials also indicates that their Roman keepers may have struggled to find suitable foods for them to eat.

Taking them away from their natural habitat, it seems, was not without consequences.

Source: Phys.org

Tags: Roman