Mummified puppies and their descendents
On 1 May 2009, University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology staff announced the results of a recent CT scan of the 2,300-year-old mummy of a 40-plus year old man called “Hapi-Men” and the small bundle which had been deposited at his feet. “Hapi-Men” translates roughly to “The Apis bull endures.” Apis, a bull-deity worshipped in the Memphis region, was the most important of all the sacred animals in Egypt.
The CT scan revealed that Hapi-Men was adorned with numerous amulets. The amulets would have facilitated his passage into the afterlife.
The small bundle turned out to be the remains of a puppy. This is incredibly rare as Egyptians tended to focus on mummifying cats, birds and crocodiles, but not often dogs. The CT scan of the puppy indicated that he had “Jack Russell terrier-type legs, long head and individual toes.” The exact breed of the puppy is at this stage unknown, but scientists plan to determine it after further study.
The canine has been dubbed “Hapi-Puppy,” a pun which appears somewhat ironic in contemporary times given that he was most probably killed upon his master’s death. However, it is evident that Hapi-Men wanted to spend all of eternity with his puppy, and this was the best way to ensure that both of them would travel to the afterlife together. Hapi-Men is thus a man who really loved his puppy and wanted what was best for him, in accordance with the beliefs of the time.
YouTube has a short video of the two mummies being prepared for the CT scan.
6abc Action News has a short news report on the CT scan.
Most Egyptian representations of dogs are of a greyhound-type breed, known as the Tesem, which is estimated to have stood about 20 inches. The Egyptians also depicted a smaller dog. While there may be no modern breed that is an exact fit for ancient Egyptian dogs, there are a number of candidates which could well trace their lineage back sufficiently far. African candidates are the Saluki, Basenji, and the central African tribal dogs, the Niam-Niam, the Manboutou and the Shilluk Greyhound. Mediterranean candidates are the Ibizan, the Sicilian Greyhound and the Pharoah Hound.
The Saluki, known as the royal dog of Egypt, is believed by many to be the oldest domesticated dog. Saluki-like animals appear on ancient Iranian ceramics of 3500 BCE and on Egyptian tombs of 2100 BCE. Salukis range in height from 23 to 28 inches at the top of the shoulder. Their coats can either be smooth (a short coat over the entire body) or feathered (with long hair on the ears, backs of the legs and tail).
Salukis are the dogs of the nomadic desert tribes and have roamed from Persia to Egypt. Muslim cultures normally view dogs as unclean. The Saluki, however, was declared to be a noble sacred dog sent to them by Allah. The Bedouin valued them for their beauty and hunting prowess. The salukis often slept in tents with their owners, protected from the elements.
The Basenji, known as the “barkless dog,” is believed to be another of the most ancient dog breeds, having originated on the African continent. Their vocal folds are not shaped for barking, but rather for making a low ululation. Basenji-like dogs are depicted in paintings within the Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops), which was constructed about 2700 BCE, and in Libyan cave and rock drawings dating from about 6000 BCE. Basenjis typically weigh about 17 pounds, being about the size of a Fox Terrier, and are prized for their hunting ability, courage and speed.
The Ibizan Hound resembles those portrayed in Egyptian tombs. It is claimed they are descended from Egyptian hounds brought by Phoenician and Libyan traders to what are now known as the Spanish Balearic Islands in the eighth century BCE. The islanders kept this breed pure and named them after the island of Ibiza. Ibizan Hounds range in height from 24 to 29 inches and weigh from 45 to 65 pounds. They are strong and resilient hunters, being particularly good at catching hare. They are agile and can jump great heights, as well as being able to work as scent hounds.
The Pharaoh Hound, known as the Kelb tal-Fenek, also resembles those portrayed in Egyptian tombs. It is claimed they are descended from Egyptian hounds brought to Gozo, Malta, and Sicily by Phoenician merchants. Pharaoh Hounds are skilled rabbit hunters, using both sight and scent. They stand between 21 and 25 tall and weigh between 40 and 60 lbs.
The Sicilian Greyhound, known as the Cirneco, also resembles those portrayed in Egyptian tombs. It is claimed by some that some 3,000 years ago the Phoenicians brought Egyptian hounds to Sicily, which are the ancestors of the Sicilian Greyhound. It is now thought that the Sicilian Greyhound originated around the Sicilian volcano Mount Etna as early as the fourth century BCE. They are used to hunt rabbit and game birds on rough terrain. The Sicilian Greyhound, which stands at about 18 inches, looks like a smaller version of the Pharaoh Hound, which stands at about 23 inches.
Results of DNA testing
In May 2004, a genetic study of 85 dog breeds was reported on in Newsweek, on Australia’s ABC, and AZCentral. The study indentified an “ancient” group of fourteen breeds, meaning that they were among the first to diverge from wolves (which are the ancestors of all modern dog breeds). This ancient group included the Saluki and the Basenji. Somewhat surprisingly, the study indicated that the Ibizan hound and the Pharaoh hound, which were often referred to as ancient breeds, were actually bred within the past 200 years. Breeders of the Ibizan and the Pharaoh hounds, however, appear to be undeterred and are still claiming lineages going back to ancient Egypt.
A 2007 article argues that continued trait selective breeding, along with insufficient sampling of individual breeds from geographically diverse areas, may have skewed the results of the 2004 genetic study. Perhaps the Ibizan and the Pharaoh hounds will one day be added to the list of ancient breeds after further testing. Until then, the matter comes down to faith, given the lack of substantiating evidence.
As stated previously, ancient Egyptian representations of dogs were of two types. At this stage it is a reasonable assumption that the closest living relative of the larger dog is the smooth-coated Saluki, while that of the smaller dog is the Basenji. The description of Hapi-Puppy with its “Jack Russell terrier-type legs” implies a small breed, and hence is a closer match for the Basenji.