Rock art (from Ross 1992)
- Petroglyph images
- Representations of elephants in central Shara, Algeria, and Libya
- Dating difficult to establish, but perhaps as old as 8,000 B.C.
Ancient sculptures (from Ross 1992)
- Terracotta elephant heads
- Produced by the Nok culture of Nigeria c. 500 BCE
- The functional significance of these objects is not known
Ancient Egyptian culture (from Ross 1992)
- Hieroglyphic symbols
- Separate symbolic representations to distinguish wild elephants from trained elephants
- Used during the First Dynasty (c. 3200 BCE)
- Trade in ivory
- Egyptians participated in regional trade of ivory as early as 2420-2258 BCE
Elephants in war (from Ross 1992)
- Trained as war machines by Romans and Egyptian pharaohs
- Hannibal's army crossed the Alps in 218-217 with elephants
Animal menageries (from Ross 1992)
- Romans displayed elephants in zoo and employed them in arena events
- Elephants served as curiosities in Egyptian, Greek and Chinese menageries
African mythology, ritual, and art
- San peoples of Western Cape, South Africa
- Gathered an elephant's power through trance
- Modern Igbo of Nigeria
- Have a long standing tradition of valuing elephants in their art and culture
- 10th century bronze elephant pendants
- Tusks found buried with prominent leaders
- Hair of elephants used for traditional anklets, necklaces
- A hat with an attached elephant tail signifies an important person to Lega of Zaire
- Elephant masks
- Traditions of wearing elephant masks found in at least 40 African peoples
- Used for sacred and secular purposes
Exploitation by humans
- Not restricted to more modern times
- By 7th century elephants became locally extinct in northern Africa (Cutler 1985)
- Driven by demand for elephant ivory and for their use as machines of war and performing animals in public spectacles
Popular culture resources
- Documentaries
- Battle for the Elephants - 2013, National Geographic Film
- The film explores the value of African Elephants tusks
- Elephant Diaries - 2005 and 2007, BBC and Animal Planet; each series contains 5 half hour episodes
- Series 1 - A year in the life of a group of orphaned baby elephants recently rescued in Kenya
- Series 2 - A year in the life of a unique group of orphaned African Elephants in Kenya
- Echo: An Elephant to Remember - 2010, PBS
- This hour long episode from season 29 of Nature takes a look at Echo's extraordinary life through footage and interviews with researchers that cared for and studied her
- Echo and Other Elephants - 2008, BBC; 8 television programs on 2 discs
- David Attenborough narrates and chronicles the work of elephant expert Cynthia Moss in Kenya's Amboseli National Park
- An Apology to Elephants - 2013, HBO
- Documentary that explores the abuse of these animals and shows how some people are reversing the tren
- Research Memoirs
- Coming of Age with Elephants: A Memoir - Joyce Poole, 1996
- Animal behaviorist Poole includes her work with 800 elephants at Kenya's Amboseli National Park and all her discoveries.
- Elephant Memories: Thirteen Years in the Life of an Elephant Family - Cynthia Moss, 2000
- Also taking place at Kenya's Amboseli National Park, Moss' long-term research has revealed a lot as this book chronicles the lives of many elephant familes throughout her 27 years at the Park.
- Love, Life, and Elephants: An African Love Story - Daphne Sheldrick, 2013
- This memoir takes a look at how Daphne has saved countless African animals, including saving many newborn African Elephants from certain death.
- Elephant Don: The Politics of a Pachyderm Posse - Caitlin O'Connell, 2015
- A rare inside look at the social world of African male elephants is observed.
- Elephant Sense and Sensibility - Michael Garstang, 2015
- A comprehensive treatment of the full range of elephant behavior, including anecdotal and photographic material.