The Narmer Palette

 

CLAIM: The Narmer Palette, an ancient Egyptian stela carved around 3200-3000 BCE, features two very distinct sauropods. (Clarey, 2015, p. 21) (Hovind, 2003, 32:36) (Thomas, 2013, p. 45)

RESPONSE: Brian Thomas utilizes the Narmer Palette, an Egyptian ornamental/possibly ceremonial siltstone carving created around 3200-3000 BCE, in his 2013 Dinosaurs and the Bible in defense of ancient peoples being familiar with long-necked sauropod-like creatures, claiming that it is one of several artifacts that refute the idea that the hippopotamus was the largest animal known to the inhabitants of the Ancient Near East.
"One in particular depicts two colossal creatures. Apparently, ancient Near Easterners were quite familiar with at least one creature that dwarfed the hippo. An exquisitely carved commemorative plaque called the Narmer Palette depicts a triumphant pharaoh on one side and symbols of greatness on the other. It looks as though the pharaoh in question wanted others to consider him more powerful than some of the most powerful creatures around - giant, four-footed, long-necked, long-tailed animals that should look familiar to those who read books about dinosaurs." (p. 45)
In his response to the Creation Museum's interpretations of historical artifacts depicting dinosaurs (which include the Narmer Palette), Ben Stanhope points out that the figures on the carving that are supposed to be sauropods clearly exhibit feline physiology (the figures' "tails, feet, bodies, ears, faces, eyes, and noses" are all feline), do not resemble sauropods except superficially, and are a known Mesopotamian/Egyptian motif known as a "seropard", or long-necked lion. (Stanhope, 2020, pp. 247-249) The figure appears in numerous other pieces of Near East artwork and, for Egyptians specifically, is always depicted in pairs, representing "...the chaos that reigned beyond Egypt's borders...this creature could be seen as a symbol of chaos in the clutches of a hero, most likely the ruler." (Ross, 2008, pp. 176-177) Stanhope points out that the seropards in the Narmer Palette have necks that are longer than usual as a decorative choice to accommodate a space for the mixing of cosmetics in the center of the carving. (p. 248) He also cites several other examples of this type of figure depicted in Egyptian art that clearly demonstrate the creatures in the palette are felines exaggerated for symbolic purposes. (p. 248-249)

Despite the creatures' feline appearance, Thomas doubles down and says that the figures share "key anatomical" features with sauropods:
"As we discussed earlier, the key anatomical feature that distinguished dinosaurs from other reptiles was that their legs pointed straight down from their bodies. And a key feature that distinguished sauropods from all other animals was their long necks. As you can see...the legs of the creatures on the Narmer Palette point straight down, just like those of sauropod dinosaurs that we know from fossils." (p. 45)
Except the legs of the seropards on the Narmer Palette don't point straight down. The rear legs of the creatures are clearly bent in digitigrade, and the front legs depict joints identical to those seen in big cats. These features are clearly visible in the image Thomas provides.

The Narmer Palette (Thomas, 2013)

In conclusion, there is no good reason to assume that the creatures depicted on the Narmer Palette are sauropods. They are well-known motifs from the Ancient Near East depicted in a way that is consistent with their symbology. It's worth noting that the young-Earth creationist group New Creation counts ancient artwork supposedly depicting dinosaurs among their arguments that creationists should not use. (2024)

REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING

Duff, J. (2015, June 13) NH Notes: Can You Find the Dinosaurs in this Image? Naturalis Historia.

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