Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Identifier

6579

Date

2020

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Major

Art History

Concentration

Egyptian Art and Archaeology

Committee Chair

Joshua Aaron Roberson

Committee Member

Lorelei H Corcoran

Committee Member

Patricia Victoria Podzorski

Abstract

Domestic dogs in ancient Egypt have rarely recieved attention from the Egyptological community. They have been perceived as "pets," hunting dogs, guard dogs, or sacred animals. The modern connotations of pet-keeping have been imposed onto them, with little evidence. Their function or meaning to the ancient Egyptians has rarely been questioned. Evidence of the dog in ancient Egypt appears as early as the Predynastic period and as late as the Roman era. Images of dogs appears in tombs, temples, and on artifacts. Dog burials have also been perserved, and they have been referenced in Egyptian and Classical textual sources. This thesis collects all available iconographic examples of the dog in ancient Egypt and evaluates the data to create a basis for a critical analysis of the function(s) of the dog. Did the domestic dog serve a symbolic purpose(s) to the ancient Egyptians, or were they merely valued as lifelong companions?

Comments

Data is provided by the student.

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to the local University of Memphis Electronic Theses & dissertation (ETD) Repository.

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