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

IF 1.3 3区地球科学 Q3 PALEONTOLOGY

International Journal of Paleopathology Pub Date : 2025-02-25 DOI:10.1016/j.ijpp.2025.02.005

Ellen Green

{"title":"The pathology of sacrifice: Dogs from an early Roman ‘ritual’ shaft in southern England","authors":"Ellen Green","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpp.2025.02.005","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>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.</div></div><div><h3>Materials</h3><div>5463 dog bones comprising an MNI of 140 individuals.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Bone fragments were visually inspected for pathology. In the case of suspected fractures, radiographic images were taken.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Lesions were observed in 2.26 % of skeletal remains and 14.06 % of dentition.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>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.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>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.</div></div><div><h3>Limitations</h3><div>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.</div></div><div><h3>Suggestions for further research</h3><div>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.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48817,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Paleopathology","volume":"49 ","pages":"Pages 37-49"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3000,"publicationDate":"2025-02-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"International Journal of Paleopathology","FirstCategoryId":"89","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1879981725000063","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"PALEONTOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

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.

查看原文本刊更多论文

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

International Journal of Paleopathology PALEONTOLOGY-PATHOLOGY

CiteScore

2.90

自引率

25.00%

发文量

期刊介绍： Paleopathology is the study and application of methods and techniques for investigating diseases and related conditions from skeletal and soft tissue remains. The International Journal of Paleopathology (IJPP) will publish original and significant articles on human and animal (including hominids) disease, based upon the study of physical remains, including osseous, dental, and preserved soft tissues at a range of methodological levels, from direct observation to molecular, chemical, histological and radiographic analysis. Discussion of ways in which these methods can be applied to the reconstruction of health, disease and life histories in the past is central to the discipline, so the journal would also encourage papers covering interpretive and theoretical issues, and those that place the study of disease at the centre of a bioarchaeological or biocultural approach. Papers dealing with historical evidence relating to disease in the past (rather than history of medicine) will also be published. The journal will also accept significant studies that applied previously developed techniques to new materials, setting the research in the context of current debates on past human and animal health.