Archaeologists recently revealed the remains of a well-preserved dog from ancient Rome – discovery highlighting the universality of ancient ritual sacrifice.
this Discovery On March 21, it was announced by Solva Archeology Service, an affiliated organization of the Belgian government. (See the video at the top of this article.)
Arne Verbrugge, an archaeologist in Flanders, Belgium, told Fox News Digital that the excavation is in the former Roman center of the village of Verzk, known as the former center of Vicus.
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The picture shows that the dog’s mouth is largely intact; several teeth and their entire bones are retained. Verbrugge said the creature was found under slates that helped it preserve.
“Most of the bones we find in our area Roman period “In some cases, such as wells or ditches, the protection is slightly better,” he said.
An archaeological service in Belgium announced the discovery of the remains of an ancient dog in March. (Solva Dienst Archeologie)
He added: “Because the dog was buried under the foundation of high calcium sandstone, it was well preserved.”
In Roman times, dogs were used in “various rituals” archaeologist Said – even considered the “guardian” of the grave of the deceased. These animals are often ritually killed to guide the deceased’s journey to the afterlife.
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But it seems that the recent discovery of dogs was actually sacrificed for buildings rather than humans, which is rare in Belgium.
“from [the Roman scholar] Verbrugge said Varro’s work “De Rustica” sometimes seems to use dogs in rituals to purify land and houses. ”
The dog that scientists discovered was very preserved due to being buried on the slate below. (Solva Dienst Archeologie)
“For the sacrifice of the building, Velzeke probably was the first to ‘purify’ the site before they wanted to build the building.”
“The relationship with `purification’ also appears in the practice of sacrificing dogs (and other animals) at the Lupercalia Festival in honor of the fertility and purification of Flatarch,” he said.
It seems that the dogs recently discovered were actually sacrificed for the building.
The stone building where dogs are buried may have some important purposes, Verbrugge said.
Although similar situations were found in France and the UK, this was the first dog sacrifice found in Flanders.
Some pottery have images of dogs highlighting the role of dogs in ancient Roman society. (Solva Dienst Archeologie)
“The buildings may be bigger, but these foundations are not well preserved anywhere,” Verbrugge said.
“The stone foundation is Roman period For this area, they proved some state of the building. They are found only in villas and public buildings with military, administrative or religious functions. ”
He also said: “The existence of stone buildings indicates an important building on the site.”
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The remains of the dogs initially studied at the excavation site will be subject to further testing, although Verbrugge points out the exact dog Lost time.
“Once the body is washed, the bones themselves will be checked again,” Verbrugge said.
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“Maybe something can still be derived from it, such as the cause of death, disease, age, gender, etc. We cannot assign this animal to a specific “breed”, e.g. [creating] Specific breeds are a fairly recent practice. ”
The excavator also found several well-preserved drinking glasses at the settlement site. (Solva Dienst Archeologie)
Archaeologists have also found many other artifacts on site – including the bones of another dog, the remains of a young pig, about 33 complete drinking cups and a bronze bowl, although Verbrugge will feature these discoveries as settlement waste or garbage rather than etiquette.
“The discovery proved Rich culture In this place, based on imported luxury pottery, jewelry and even some silver coins,” he said.
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“It is surprising that these pits also often contain slag or debris from oven walls, indicating a nearby hand-made activity. At some point, rituals or religious activities are performed as part of the excavation site.”
