The  dogs of Roman Vindolanda, Part I: Morphometric techniques useful in differentiating domestic and wild canids

Studies of dog remains focused on the Iron Age southern Levant generally highlight their unique nature in the archaeological context, specifically in relation to their post-mortem exploitation. Here we review the published archaeological and textual data to evaluate the current understanding of dogs' roles in their Iron Age settings. The analysis reveals that dogs are relatively common in the archaeological record, having been reported at 66% of sites. This study further contextualizes this presence in light of their co-occurrence with caprine and wild taxa. The significant number of dog remains indicates that they were part of the social matrix of a village. While dogs have been viewed as 'unclean' or pariah, based on certain textual references in the Hebrew Bible, we assert, on the basis of the archaeological record, that they were part of the life of the village, functioning as herders, guards and occasionally hunters.

show abstract

“…Bennett et al . 2016). Our limited database, however, does not allow us to identify such markers and so decipher the exact activity.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Dog’s Life in the Iron Age of the Southern Levant: Connecting the Textual and Archaeological Evidence

Sapir‐Hen

Fulton

2023

Oxford J Archaeology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The frequency of large, medium, and small dogs changes with time at Vindolanda, corresponding to change in the region of origin of the resident cohort. Morphometric analysis (Bennett et al, 2016) and measurement of dog pawprints impressed in ceramic building materials (Bennett, 2012) provide size data, while documentation of contemporary Roman artwork provides insight regarding perishable characteristics of pelage, coloration, and carriage. Considered together, this evidence allows biotype reconstruction of eight different types of dog that were present at Roman Vindolanda.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For basic excavation techniques and site location map, please see Part I of this series (Bennett et al, 2016). Determination of context at Vindolanda has developed over fifty years of excavation at the site, which contains a complex succession of nine forts built one on top of the other over the whole period of its occupation (Birley, 2003;Birley & Blake, 2005Birley, 2009;Blake, 2014).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Our morphometric study of 27 relatively complete skulls, 61 jaws and 92 measurable limb bones confirm the presence of dogs ranging in "shoulder" or "withers" height from about 27 cm to 70 cm. While some Vindolanda dogs show phenotype similar to modern "village dogs" or Australian dingoes, the majority are morphologically different and the range of size and phenotype is far greater than either dingoes or British dogs of the Neolithic (Bennett et al, 2016).…”

Section: Size and Completeness Of Skeletonsmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…The Vindolanda fort and village complex situated 3 km south of Hadrian's Wall in northern England sits near the edge of the ancient Roman Empire, yet has yielded a large and diverse collection of Roman-era dogs. This paper represents Part II in a series on the dogs of Roman Vindolanda; for detailed site information and collection techniques, see Part I (Bennett et al, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

The dogs of Roman Vindolanda, Part II: Time-stratigraphic occurrence, ethnographic comparisons, and biotype reconstruction

Bennett¹,

Timm

2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

El fuerte-poblado romano de Vindolanda en el norte de Inglaterra fue ocupado desde el 50 al 415 A.D. y ha proporcionado una importante colección de restos bien conservados de perro, Canis familiaris. En este trabajo se contesta a las preguntas acerca de si los romanos criaron perros con el propósito de obtener morfotipos específicos o si aquellos perros se cruzaron libremente y de modo aleatorio (panmixis). También, si los perros fueron criados, si tal cría respondía a razones funcionales. Utilizando restos caninos bien contextualizados, respondemos estas preguntas incorporando análisis morfométricos, estadíos de desgaste dentario, patologías óseas, huellas impresas en cerámica (tejas) y registros documentales e iconográficos. Todas las cohortes de perro se encontraban aquí documentadas y no existen evidencias de que los perros fuesen consumidos. Las curvas de supervivencia son las clásicas con forma de U constatadas en poblaciones en equilibrio. Se constatan asímismo perros pequeños, medianos y grandes cuyas frecuencias variaron según el lugar de origen de las guarniciones que se sucedieron en el asentamiento. El cuidado de los canes lo confirma una perrera con forma de colmena y un individuo con heridas cicatrizadas. Los perros fueron usados para la caza y criados con tal fin. Integrando todas las fuentes de datos se han podido reconstruir los biotipos caninos de los romanos, infiriendo con ello su funcionalidad.

show abstract

On the status of greylag geese in Roman Paris: A linear and 2D geometric morphometric approach

Oueslati

Gruwier

2023

Intl J of Osteoarchaeology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We investigate here the domestic status of goose remains from archaeological excavations of the Roman urban settlement of Paris Lutecia. Within the diet of the Parisii adult goose competes with chicken in importance, thus offering abundant material for exploring the question of the domesticity of this bird. We first use linear and geometric morphometrics on extant tarsometatarsi of wild and domestic greylag geese to investigate potential morphological differences between the two forms. Afterwards, we apply this model on a Roman sample from Lutecia. The extant domestic breed shows notable differences in length and gracility of the tarsometatarsus compared to the wild specimens. In domestic males, the tarsometatarsi appear significantly longer and more robust compared to females. In wild greylag geese, we do not observe significant differences between males and females. Geometric morphometric analysis shows a modification of the shape in the domestic form, with increased robusticity and a bend of the shaft towards the distal end. Following this analysis, we examine the metrical specificities of the archaeological sample that shows only an increase in robusticity and no modification of ON THE STATUS OF GREYLAG GEESE IN ROMAN PARIS: A LINEAR AND GEOMETRIC length and the shape relative to the wild form. Our linear and geometric morphometric models clearly indicates that the majority of the Roman geese are domestic. Nevertheless, a smaller number of wild greylag geese is also present and must be considered as being sourced from hunting activities in the surroundings of Lutecia.

show abstract

The dogs of Roman Vindolanda, Part I: Morphometric techniques useful in differentiating domestic and wild canids

Cited by 14 publications

References 38 publications

A Dog’s Life in the Iron Age of the Southern Levant: Connecting the Textual and Archaeological Evidence

A Dog’s Life in the Iron Age of the Southern Levant: Connecting the Textual and Archaeological Evidence

The dogs of Roman Vindolanda, Part II: Time-stratigraphic occurrence, ethnographic comparisons, and biotype reconstruction

On the status of greylag geese in Roman Paris: A linear and 2D geometric morphometric approach

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About