The menagerie of Hierakonpolis
The first zoo, with hippos and elephants, before the pharaohs
At Nekhen, one of Egypt's earliest capitals, archaeologists in 2009 found the burials of animals kept around 3500 BC: a leopard, crocodiles, hippos, elephants, baboons and cats. It is the oldest known menagerie, centuries before the first pharaohs.
Wikipedia (Russian) · Wikipedia (English) · 35th century BC
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The first known zoo appeared in Egypt before the pharaohs. Around 3500 BC Hierakonpolis kept hippos, elephants, baboons, crocodiles and a leopard, whose burials were found in 2009. Share →
Meanwhile around the world (±25 years)
Europe
- c. 3500 BC The invention of the wheel — same year