First ever goat-fish petroglyph reveals Egyptian understanding of zodiac symbols

A new study by Dr. Linda Evans and her colleagues from Macquarie University, Australia, published in the Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, has recently identified what may be an Egyptian petroglyph depicting the zodiac sign Capricornus, a hybrid creature with the forequarters of a goat and body of a fish.

Zodiac symbols are completely unattested in Egyptian rock art, making this image the only known example. By studying the history of the zodiac sign, its introduction into Egypt, and its use, the researchers were able to determine the likely period of and possible reason for its creation.

Dr. Frederick Hardtke discovered the petroglyph during fieldwork. He says, “The goat-fish was found in a locality of el-Hosh, which hosts a large number of petroglyphs and texts, much of it Predynastic, but also material from the Graeco-Roman and Islamic periods. The goat-fish was found adjacent to another extremely unusual image of what we believe to be a chameleon. These two taken together make the panel that they are on rather enigmatic.”

The image caught the eye of Dr. Evans, who thought it was familiar and was inspired to do more research into it. She says, “We had described it in an earlier paper as a mythical animal, but after a bit of digging, I realized that it resembled the goat-fish, after which I began to research its history and meaning as an astrological sign.”

She explains why the image was subsequently interpreted as depicting Capricornus, stating, “There is nothing like the goat-fish in pharaonic animal iconography… The Egyptians didn’t create hybrid animals willy-nilly; instead, they drew together the features of animals that shared certain qualities, such as the Seth animal, which combines the physical features of a range of aggressive predators to create a truly powerful being. The el-Hosh creature also resembles the zodiac goat-fish so closely that we felt it is more likely the latter than evidence of a new type of hybrid animal.”

The first occurrence of something resembling Capricornus occurred in Mesopotamia, where the Sumerian god Enki and the Akkadian equivalent Ea were usually depicted as bearded men with horned caps, wearing gowns. At the shoulders of these gowns, water streams filled with fish would spout. This later evolved into the first recognizable depiction of a goat-fish hybrid at the feet of the god on cylinder seals dating to ca. 2112–2004 BCE.

According to the Mesopotamians, their gods were manifestations of the stars and planets; this included Enki/Ea, who were the manifestations of the Capricorn constellation. These stars and planets would influence human life and, as such, could be used to predict natural phenomena, wars, and aspects of life, thus leading to some of the earliest horoscopes made around 420 BCE.

From Mesopotamia, the zodiacs and their associations eventually spread to Greece (5th century BCE) and from there to Rome (1st to 2nd century CE). By at least 300 BCE, zodiacs were known to Egypt, and their earliest depictions could be found on zodiac ceilings in Egyptian Ptolemaic temples such as the temple Montu and Rattawy at Armant (c. 44–30 BCE). Later, these zodiac symbols, including Capricornus, occurred in Roman-era temple ceilings, coffin lids, tombs, and even coins.

The depiction and knowledge of the zodiacs in Egypt during the Greco-Roman period (1st century BCE and 2nd century BCE), while mainly evidenced for the elites, could also be found in the lives of the Egyptian non-elites, such as in the horoscopes created for the weaver Tryphon in the first century CE. This attests to the fact that elite and non-elite Egyptians would have known of the zodiac signs even if the horoscopes did not include depictions of them. If nothing else, it indicated that the goat-fish and its meaning were understood during the Greco-Roman period of Egypt.

If the petroglyph was indeed a depiction of a Capricornus, it may have been made in direct reference to the associated star sign. Given that desert people use the stars to navigate by night, perhaps the petroglyph was a navigational tool for the el-Hosh region. However, considering the astrological importance of the zodiac sign, it’s more likely that the creator made it either because they understood its astronomical significance or had encountered it depicted previously.

In fact, the curious goat-fish may have intrigued the creator, leading to him reproducing it on the rock, either from reference such as a coin or by memory. The crude appearance of the petroglyph may speak to it having been reproduced from memory. However, according to Dr. Hardtke, it is also typical for petroglyphs in Egypt to have become cruder after the advent of writing, “It should be noted that overall, we observe a gradual decline in both frequency and quality of pictorial rock art in Egypt with the advent of writing,” he says.

Due to the proposed timing of the introduction of the Capricornus to Egypt during the Greco-Roman period, the petroglyph was likely carved between the first century BCE and the second century BCE.

While it is possible the zodiac symbol was introduced to Egypt directly from Mesopotamia, currently, most evidence speaks to an introduction to Egypt via the Greeks and Romans. Additionally, the petroglyph was likely produced prior to the second century CE due to the depiction of a straight tail. The Roman looped-tail variant of the Capricornus symbol only became popular after the beginning of the second century CE.

Further evidence of the creation of the petroglyph during the Greco-Roman period is, albeit less prolific, rock art examples that use Greco-Roman motifs, explains Dr. Hardtke. “During this period, we might find Greek inscriptions with names and dedications to gods, etc. Occasionally, there are examples of figural depictions of gods and animals along with texts.”

It is, therefore, likely that the petroglyph depicts a Capricornus, possibly created during the Greco-Roman period; it may have been made due to the spread of the zodiacs into Egypt with the creator understanding its significance and wanting to relay that same significance onto the rock. The similar style and close association of the chameleon rock art near the Capricornus means the two petroglyphs were likely produced at the same time, possibly by the same person.

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