Foxstone Maltese

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Description

The Maltese descends from one of the most ancient dog breeds to be found in recorded history. It has been estimated that the breed originated around 6,000 B.C., or 8,000 years ago. Although the ancient Greeks and Romans believed the dog originated on the Island of Malta--they called the breed the Melitaie Dog, Melitaie being the ancient name for Malta--there is really no evidence that proves the dog was indigenous to the Island, but rather that the Maltese is descended from a Spitz-type dog bred by the peoples of the area which is now south central Europe. The breed was eventually distributed as an exotic article of trade from the ancient island trading center of Malta, hence the name, and from there migrated by caravans to the farthest reaches of the civilized world, including: the Middle East, Tibet, China, the Philippines, and Japan. The earliest known representations of Maltese dogs on artifacts found at Fayum, Egypt (600-300 B.C.), suggest that the Maltese was one of the dogs worshipped by the ancient Egyptians. Numerous pictorial representations of the Maltese occur in Greek ceramic art, such as the vases found at Vulci (about 500 B.C.), and the dog is mentioned in the writings of many Greek and Roman philosophers, and other ancient poets and historians, including: Aristotle, Timon, Callimachus, Aelian, Artimidorus, Epaminodus, Martial, Strabo, Pliny the Elder and Saint Clement of Alexandria. ...

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