| Tesem | |
|---|---|
 A drawing of two Tesems | |
| Other names | ṯzm |
| Origin | Egypt |
| Breed status | Extinct |
| Dog (domestic dog) | |
Tesem (Ancient Egyptian:ṯzm,tjezem;
) was the ancient Egyptian name for "hunting dog". In popular literature it denotes the prick-eared, leggy dog with a curled tail from the early Egyptian age, but it was also used with reference to the lop-eared "Saluki/Sloughi" type.[1] It was one of several types of dogs inAncient Egypt; particularly the latter Saluki/Sloughi type of Tesem, having the appearance most similar to that of a true sighthound.
Three main types of dogs are shown inAncient Egypt, these being thepariah dog, thegreyhound-like dog and amastiff-type dog.[2] It is assumed that there were two types of greyhound-like breeds, these being the older Tesem[3] and theSaluki/Sloughi type.[4] The two greyhound-types were clearly distinguished in tomb decorations,[5] with the Tesem thought to be similar to modernpariah dogs.[6] One scholar applies the name Tesem to both types of greyhound-like dogs.[1]
The prick-eared Tesem's origins are presumed to be from further south thanEgypt, fromNubia and also theLand of Punt,[7] whose location is unclear but thought to be to the southeast of Egypt on theHorn of Africa.[8]
A drawing of a Tesem-type dog appears inNagada, dated from theProtodynastic Period of Egypt (dated 3200 BC to 3000 BC). The dogs were drawn with upright ears and a tightly curled tail.[9] One of the earliest known recordings of these dogs is the "Khufu dog" from the tomb of PharaohKhufu,[10] who reigned between 2609 and 2584 BC.[11] This dog was named Akbaru, and was depicted wearing a collar.[10]
They continued to appear during theMiddle Kingdom period (2055 BC and 1650 BC), but by the time of theNew Kingdom (1550 BC - 1069 BC), they were replaced by dogs with hanging ears and a straight tail.[9] These dogs were of the Saluki/Sloughi type.[12]
ThePharaoh Hound ofMalta and theCirneco dell'Etna ofSicily were both popularly and controversially thought to be possible descendants of the Tesem.[13][14] TheBasenji from Central Africa still shows certain similarities with the Tesem, for example the characteristic curly tail.
Ancient Egyptians gave the name Tesem to the early curly-tailed dogs that resembled asighthound.[15] These dogs were featured on monuments[15] and in wall paintings that showed their lean body with noticeable prick ears.[7] They had a greyish-yellowcoat, with long legs and a broad prominent forehead. Their size exceeded thepariah dogs of the time. The structure of theirskeleton was closer to that of the modernterrier than that of the modern greyhound.[16]