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Ever since humans established agricultural societies, cats have been an inseparable part of their lives. This close relationship was first seen in ancient Mesopotamia thousands of years ago.

As agricultural villages grew and prospered in Mesopotamia, wildcats started sneaking into them in search of food. However, local villagers recognized the value of having the cats around, so they began to feed them. In return, the felines eliminated rodents and chased away dangerous animals like snakes and scorpions.

Later, during the age of ancient Egypt, cats were not only fully domesticated, but also became a powerful social and cultural symbol.

To say that the ancient Egyptians loved their cats would be an enormous understatement. From the most powerful pharaohs to the poorest peasants, nearly every household in ancient Egypt kept cats.

Contrary to popular belief, ancient Egyptians did not worship cats. Nevertheless, they believed that the animals had divine energy. For instance, Bastet, the ancient Egyptian goddess of health, was often depicted as a cat or a human with a cat’s head.

Because of these beliefs, Egyptians took great care of their cats. The wealthiest Egyptians dressed their furry felines in gold and served them meals on plates. Meanwhile, members of the lower classes made and wore jewelry featuring cat designs. The precious items were believed to offer protection.

Cats were so respected in ancient Egypt that killing one, even by accident, was punishable by death. Also, once a cat died, many owners mummified it. In this way, the cats would accompany humans on their journey to the underworld.

Numerous tombs throughout Egypt have been discovered with mummified cats inside. Much of what we know about cats in ancient Egypt comes from the beautiful murals found inside these tombs.

The murals often depict cats playing, chasing birds, or laying sleepily beside their owners—a familiar sight to any present-day cat owner.

For discussion: Do you think cats make good pets?

agricultural 농업의 / inseparable 불가분의 / prosper 번성하다 / sneak into ~에 몰래 들어가다 / recognize 인지하다, 인식하다 / in return 답례로, 보답으로 / feline 고양이 / eliminate 없애다 / rodent 설치류 / chase away ~을 내쫓다 / domesticate 길들이다 / understatement 절제된 표현 / peasant 소작농, 농사꾼/ contrary to ~와 반대로/ worship 숭배하다 / nevertheless 그럼에도 / divine 신성한 / depict 묘사하다/ feature 특징으로 갖추다/ respected 높이 평가되는/ by accident 의도치 않게 / punishable 처벌받을 만한 / mummify 미라로 보존하다 / accompany 동행하다 / the underworld 지하 세계, 저승 / lie 눕다

▪ Talk!! Talk!!

1. What are your thoughts about the cats in ancient Egypt?

2. Do you think cats have supernatural powers? Why or why not?

3. Do you think cats make good pets? Why or why not?

4. In what ways are cats different from dogs?

5. Why do some people prefer cats over dogs?

Vocabulary

agricultural (adjective) – relating to agriculture. feline (adjective) – elating to or affecting cats or other members of the cat family. understatement (noun) – a statement that represents something as smaller or less intense, or less important than it really is. nevertheless (adverb) – in spite of that; notwithstanding; all the same. mummify (verb) – to preserve a dead body as a mummy.

Key Expressions

A declarative sentence is a sentence that makes a statement or states a fact.. Example: This close relationship was first seen in ancient Mesopotamia thousands of years ago. A superlative adjective is an adjective used in comparisons to describe something as being of the highest degree or extreme. Example: From the most powerful pharaohs to the poorest peasants, nearly every household in ancient Egypt kept cats. . A closed or solid compound noun is one in which the two words do not have any spaces or hyphens separating them. They are usually considered as a single word.. Example: In this way, the cats would accompany humans on their journey to the underworld.

Key Sentences

This close relationship was first seen in ancient Mesopotamia thousands of years ago. As agricultural villages grew and prospered in Mesopotamia, wildcats started sneaking into them in search of food. However, local villagers recognized the value of having the cats around, so they began to feed them. In return, the felines eliminated rodents and chased away dangerous animals like snakes and scorpions. Later, during the age of ancient Egypt, cats were not only fully domesticated, but also became a powerful social and cultural symbol. To say that the ancient Egyptians loved their cats would be an enormous understatement. From the most powerful pharaohs to the poorest peasants, nearly every household in ancient Egypt kept cats. Contrary to popular belief, ancient Egyptians did not worship cats. Nevertheless, they believed that the animals had divine energy. For instance, Bastet, the ancient Egyptian goddess of health, was often depicted as a cat or a human with a cat’s head. The wealthiest Egyptians dressed their furry felines in gold and served them meals on plates. Meanwhile, members of the lower classes made and wore jewelry featuring cat designs. The precious items were believed to offer protection. Cats were so respected in ancient Egypt that killing one, even by accident, was punishable by death. Also, once a cat died, many owners mummified it. In this way, the cats would accompany humans on their journey to the underworld. Numerous tombs throughout Egypt have been discovered with mummified cats inside. Much of what we know about cats in ancient Egypt comes from the beautiful murals found inside these tombs. The murals often depict cats playing, chasing birds, or laying sleepily beside their owners—a familiar sight to any present-day cat owner.

Make a Sentence

agricultural, feline, understatement, nevertheless, mummify

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