Dogs in Ancient Egypt. Dogs are the earliest domesticated animals (maybe around 10 000 BC in the Near East). They were used as guardians, helper at hunts, and pets.
When did Egyptians domesticate dogs?
The earliest reference to dogs in Egypt comes to us from the predynastic period. Bones of domesticated dogs have been discovered dating to the fifth millennium BC in Egypt, and we find the first representation of domesticated dogs on the Moscow cup from the Badarian age (4000-4500 BC).
Did ancient Egypt have domesticated dogs?
The ancient Egyptians kept animals as pets ranging from domesticated dogs and cats to baboons, monkeys, fish, gazelles, birds (especially falcons), lions, mongoose, and hippos. Crocodiles were even kept as sacred animals in the temples of the god Sobek.
How did dogs get to Egypt?
Egyptologist Margaret Bunson notes that dogs "were probably domesticated in Egypt in the Pre-Dynastic eras" and they "served as hunters and as companions for the Egyptians and some mentioned their hounds in their mortuary texts" (67).
Were there dogs in Egypt?
Some of the oldest dog breeds can be traced back to ancient Egypt. It's often suggested that it was the ancient Egyptians that domesticated dogs. A tomb dating back to 3500 BC shows a painting of a man walking a dog on a leash.
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