Rare and Enigmatic Scenes of the Human-Dog Relationship in Ancient Egyptian Art of the Old Kingdom (original) (raw)

Abstract

"The association between the ancient Egyptians and dogs is not clearly understood, despite the animal’s early and pervasive presence in the archaeological and cultural record. Three images dated to the Sixth Dynasty depict mouth-to-muzzle contact between an ancient Egyptian workman and a dog: a two-dimensional wall scene, carved and painted in relief on the North wall of Room III in the tomb of Kagemni at Saqqara; a three-dimensional limestone model (JE 72143) from Tomb 7715a, East Field, Giza currently in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo; and a small white enstatite amulet/stamp (UC 38150) from an unknown location, currently in the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, London. These representations are curious finds from this conservative ancient society that rarely displayed physical contact between humans, much less between human and animal. The interpretation of these images relies on observations of animal behaviour, analyses of carved and painted wall scenes in which dogs appear in the company of humans, and comparative studies of other ancient cultures. This paper presents the author’s most recent conclusions shedding light on our understanding of the basis of the ancient Egyptian’s relationship with canids during the Old Kingdom."

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