Page 36 - Dog

Early domestication

The wolf is the ancestor of all domestic
dogs (pp. 48–61), including the Irish
Egyptian papyrus, c.1500–1200 b.c.,
showing two jackals and some goats wolfhound, which is much larger than
the wolf, and the Pekingese, which is very much smaller. The
outward appearance of these breeds may look completely different
from the wolf and from each other, but every dog, inside its skin,
JACKAL GOD
feels and behaves like a wolf. Humans probably first began to The jackal has
live closely with tamed wolves during the last Ice Age, more always had a close
association with
than 12,000 years ago, and the bones of these early dogs are humans, though it
sometimes found on archeological sites. The people of is not an ancestor of
the domestic dog.
ancient Egypt and western Asia were the first to begin Anubis, the jackal god,
was a most important
breeding distinctive kinds of dogs such as mastiffs and ancient Egyptian deity
greyhounds. Most of the different shapes and sizes of (god).This one is made
dogs known today were already in existence by the of limestone, a.d. 300.
first century b.c. This is known from the skeletal
remains of these dogs, but more especially from
models, paintings, and other works of art
which often portray the animals in
marvelous detail. In the ancient
world, dogs were kept for
Handle
hunting, herding, protection decorated
(pp. 40–45), sport (pp. 46–47), with coral
and, as today,
companionship.

PERSIAN PLAQUE FRENCH FLAGON
This stylized half- This Celtic drinking
dog, half-bird – or vessel, made of bronze,
“fenmurv” – is a c.400 b.c., was found
fertility symbol. It near Basse-Yutz in
is made of silver, France. Along the
c.7th century a.d., handle, two hounds
sometime during the chase a duck which
Sassanid dynasty, seems to be swimming
and was found in when liquid is poured.
northern India.

ANCIENT HUNTSMEN
Assyrian huntsmen
walk with their mastiff-
like hounds in a royal
park in this bas-relief
from a palace at Nineveh,
the ancient capital
of Assyria, built
between 645–635 b.c.

34
(c) 2011 Dorling Kindersley. All Rights Reserved.