The Dogs of Roman Vindolanda, Part V

This report focuses on the North Field dog, a nearly complete associated skull and skeleton from Roman Vindolanda. Multiple analyses utilizing different bodyparts, and thorough comparison with other nearly complete skeletons from Vindolanda and with dog remains reported from archaeological sites throughout Roman Europe and west Asia, show that this dog belongs to a hitherto unrecognized morphotype which we name the bocanegra. We present conformation analyses, digitally mounted skeletons, and biotype reconstructions for this and other similar Roman-era dogs. The skulls of robust terriers and dwarf dogs superficially resemble those of bocanegras, and herein we present numerous ways of differentiating them. We review the genetics of canine dwarfism and discuss important links between dwarfism and brachycephaly. Although an underbite is common among modern brachycephalic dogs, no individual from Vindolanda had an underbite. The wear stage of the inferior carnassial of all dogs from Vindolanda reveals that many individuals lived more than four years and were fed and managed with care. We incorporate dog limb bones from fifty Roman-era archaeological sites into analyses which reveal that different morphotypes were more frequently bred in different parts of the Roman empire. This in turn allows insight into patterns of importation and trade. A growing body of evidence indicates surprisingly close affinities between Romano–British dogs and landrace dogs in countries bordering the Silk Road as far east as China.

Affinities · Dwarfism · Skeleton (computer programming) · Skull · Taxon · Human-Animal Interaction Studies · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology · Veterinary Orthopedics and Neurology