HUNTERS, GUARDS, AND PETS
Rather than having specific breed names, the ancient Egyptians primarily employed two words for domesticated canines: iuiu for ‘barking dog’ and tjezem for ‘barkless dog’. The term iuiu, which would have been pronounced like ‘yew-yew’, is onomatopoetic for the repetitive noises most dogs make.
Tjezem is more commonly attested at least through the early Middle Kingdom. The features and potential modern identity of this canine remain a topic of debate in Egyptology, despite reasonably clear evidence of the dog’s nature and modern descendants. From ca. 4000 BC to 1600 BC, the most popular domesticated dog in Egypt and Lower Nubia was a prick-eared, curly-tailed animal with a deep chest, narrow waist, and relatively long limbs (resulting in a rather square overall shape).
Tjezem: The barkless hound
Careful attention to ancient Egyptian evidence suggests that the was a barkless hound. Modern African canines with a distinctive vocal box that enables them to yodel, howl, and make a wide range.
