The pathology of sacrifice: Dogs from an early Roman ‘ritual’ shaft in southern England

Abstract

Objective

To investigate the health of a large assemblage of Romano-British dogs recovered from the first century CE ritual shaft on the Nescot site in Surrey, England.

Materials

5463 dog bones comprising an MNI of 140 individuals.

Methods

Bone fragments were visually inspected for pathology. In the case of suspected fractures, radiographic images were taken.

Results

Lesions were observed in 2.26 % of skeletal remains and 14.06 % of dentition.

Conclusions

The Nescot dogs have similar rates of skeletal pathology to those recovered from other ‘ritual’ or cemetery contexts but lower rates than those recovered from Romano-British urban contexts.

Significance

Nescot represents one of the largest dog assemblages recovered from a ritual context and thus is a valuable for investigating the treatment of dogs. This study has highlighted the importance of standardised recording and quantification of pathology in zooarchaeology, as well as the importance of specialist involvement during excavation.

Limitations

Limited recording at excavation level and the disarticulated nature of the bone limited examination at an ‘individual’ level. This made comparisons with other Romano-British sites challenging. No comparative data was available to assess the rates of dental pathology.

Suggestions for further research

Given that the majority of zooarchaeological assemblages are disarticulated, the use of prevalence rates by element would greatly expand the amount of comparative data available.