Egyptologists have deciphered the name of a dog inscribed on the tomb of an ancient Egyptian official in the city of Thebes.
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Over 3,500 years ago, an Egyptian official named User ordered one of his dogs to be painted under his chair in his tomb in Thebes. The animal was distinguished by its unusual wavy color, its name unlike any other known name, and a rare hieroglyphic symbol depicting the dog in a sitting position.
This name, which is almost invisible on the wall, now reads “dwA.ty”, and can be translated as “He is from the underworld”, according to the ArchNews website.
Egyptologist Chelsea Kaufman believes the dog's name most likely refers to Anubis, the god associated with tombs, mummification, and the protection of the dead.
The website noted in an article that the dog is one of three animals named in the tomb of User, a scribe and administrator during the reign of Thutmose I in the 18th Dynasty. Kaufman's research added this previously unrecorded name to the list of known dog names in ancient Egypt, making it the 97th name on the list.
The dog's unusual appearance and the rare hieroglyphic design of its name make it a striking find even in this small tomb. The discovery offers a more personal glimpse into the ancient Egyptians' relationship with dogs, as their names, images, and placement in private tombs suggest that some owners wanted certain animals to remain a part of their personalities and memories after death.
User served as a scribe and administrator at the beginning of the Eighteenth Dynasty. The inner chamber of the tomb preserves three offering scenes, in which dogs sit beneath their master. Two of them were known by their names, "The Mighty" and "The Faithful," while the third remained unnamed for a long time, because the hieroglyphic inscription almost blended into the background.
Kaufman processed the image using software that enhances the subtle differences in the remaining pigment, making the hieroglyphs much clearer. While the alternative reading "disciple" remains theoretically possible, the researcher finds it less convincing in a funerary context.
The newly named dog appears unusual because of its white fur with wavy red stripes, which simultaneously resemble the leopard's skin pattern and the rippled fabric on Usser's own costume. Kaufman says she doesn't know of a similar pattern among other Egyptian dog photographs.
The hieroglyphic sign identifying the dog's name also differs from the traditional method. Instead of depicting a standing dog, the artist used an image of a seated dog, almost mirroring the animal's posture in the drawing. A similar sign is known only on a single dog sarcophagus dating back to the Middle Kingdom.
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