By T. G. Wilfong

Year of publication: 2015

This catalogue documents an exhibition at the Kelsey Museum on the mysterious ancient Egyptian jackal-headed gods associated with death and the afterlife. These gods are immediately identifiable symbols of ancient Egypt, but their specific identities and roles are often less well known. The catalogue focuses on the three most important jackal gods: Anubis (embalmer and guide to the dead), Wepwawet (opener of the ways to the afterlife), and Duamutef (son of Horus, protector of the canopic jar). Jackal gods are represented by a variety of artifacts in the Kelsey Museum collection — statues, paintings, amulets, and other objects. These artifacts are used to examine the jackal gods and their functions in the wider context of ancient Egyptian religion and follow their changing roles into the Graeco-Roman period and beyond. Modern pop cultural manifestations of the Egyptian jackal gods document their persistence into the present.

Visit the exhibition website.

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Death Dogs: The Jackal Gods of Ancient Egypt
Kelsey Museum Publication 11
Ann Arbor: Kelsey Museum of Archaeology, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-990-66231-0
Pp. 128, 181 color illustrations
Paperback, 7" x 7"
$23.95