The dogs of Roman Vindolanda, Part II

Time-stratigraphic occurrence, ethnographic comparisons, and biotype reconstruction

Datos Bibliográficos

ID12480481
AutoresDeb Bennett (autor de correspondencia), Robert M Timm (0000-0001-6203-3316, University of Kansas)
Año2016
Número25
Páginas107-126
Fecha de publicación2016-06-13
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaArchaeofauna (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1132-6891
EditorialServicio de Publicaciones de la Universidad Autonoma de Madrid (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.15366/archaeofauna2016.25.005
OpenAlexW2529758863
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas10
Referencias citadas8

The Roman fort-village complex at Vindolanda in northern England has yielded extensive well-preserved remains of domestic dogs, Canis familiaris. Herein, we pose the questions—did the Romans breed for distinctive dog morphotypes, or were dogs breeding panmictically; and if dogs were bred, was it for functionality. We address these questions utilizing remains that are correlated to age and context; morphometric analysis; dental wear stage; bone pathology; pawprints impressed in tiles, and contemporary written records and artwork. All age classes of dogs are represented. There is no evidence that dogs were butchered for food; survivorship curves suggest the typical U-shaped distribution found in populations at equilibrium. Small, medium-sized, and large dogs are represented with frequency changing over time and corresponding to change in the region of origin of the resident military cohort. Husbandry is confirmed on an individual with healed wounds and with the discovery of a beehive-shaped wattle doghouse. Dogs were used extensively in hunting wild game and bred for that activity. By integrating many diverse kinds of data we are able reconstruct biotypes of Roman dogs, greatly facilitating the interpretation of their functionality

Art · Humanities · Human-Animal Interaction Studies · Veterinary Equine Medical Research · Wildlife Ecology and Conservation