Stone Age Dog Proof Of A Dog's Love

October 12, 2020

Photo credit: Alizarin Krimson 

What we know about the origin of dogs so far and their existence of 30,000 years or more is that they first became outsiders living in the vicinity of people and feeding off their scraps and leftovers. 

When people discovered that dogs could be put to work to help them hunt for food and keep the vermin down, dogs were chiefly trained to become working, outdoor creatures. Dogs as companion animals happened much, much later. Or so we thought...

An ongoing archaeological dig of a Stone Age site in Sölvesborg, Sweden beside the sea has revealed the grave of a human and his dog buried right beside him. The grave was found in the middle of a Hunter Stone Age settlement of 51 large houses located in Ljungaviken of 8,400 years ago:

"This is one of the oldest grave finds of dogs in the country," said osteologist Ola Magnell at the Archaeologists in Lund. "The dog is well preserved and the fact that it is buried in the middle of the Stone Age settlement is unique."

People were often buried with precious objects that held sentimental or religious meaning, so to find a human buried with their dog is significant. It proves that people from eight millenia ago recognized these beloved creatures for love and companionship and not just as working, outdoor animals:

"A find like this makes you feel even closer to the people who lived here," said project manager Carl Persson at Blekinge museum. "A buried dog somehow shows how similar we are over the millennia - the same feelings of loss and loss."

The site at Ljungaviken, Sölvesborg, Sweden was flooded and lost to rising sea levels eight millennia ago, making the conditions just perfect for preserving everything. The archaeologists are positive they can lift the whole dog intact from the grave site, as it has been preserved in a protective soil casing all these years. Investigation into this canine specimen will continue at the Blekinge Museum in Sweden.