While digging among the ruins of a settlement that was inhabited between the first and third centuries C.E., researchers uncovered the ancient canine beneath the stone foundation of a Roman building.
Arne Verbrugge/SOLVA Dienst ArcheologieThe well-preserved remains of a Roman dog, unearthed at an archaeological site in Velzeke, Belgium.
Beneath a stone foundation in Velzeke, Belgium, researchers recently made an astounding discovery: the well-preserved remains of an ancient Roman dog.
This find was one of more than 700 relics dating back to somewhere between the first and third centuries C.E. that were unearthed in a roughly 3,200-square-feet area. Other discoveries included pieces of pottery, coins, and the remnants of a Roman road. Foremost among the finds, however, is the dog, which may now offer unique insight into the lives and religious practices of the ancient Romans who once inhabited Velzeke.
Roman Dog Remains Unearthed Beneath A Stone Structure In Belgium
TV OostThe remains were unusually well preserved for the region.
In the Velzeke region, well-preserved ancient remains are relatively rare. This is largely due to the conditions of the local soil, but as archaeologist Arne Verbrugge told VRT, “Because this dog was buried beneath a stone foundation, it has been exceptionally well preserved.”
The dog’s remains were handed over to the Brussels Museum of Natural Sciences for further study, but Verbrugge explained how the discovery alone can allow historians to draw some conclusions about the burial.
“What’s also interesting is the connection to a building,” Verbrugge said. “The dog was buried beneath a significant structure, and we probably have to consider this a kind of building sacrifice. We know from historical sources that dogs sometimes played a role in certain religious or ritual practices. They were meant to provide a kind of purification or cleansing — for example, during the construction of a new building or in certain healing rituals.”
As explored in a 1921 paper by Columbia University professor Alberta Mildred Franklin, dogs in particular had a ritualistic association with Hecate, the goddess of magic, witchcraft, sorcery, and ghosts, and there were numerous festivals involving dogs — especially as sacrifices.
TV OostThe dog’s burial may have served a ritual purpose, though the exact nature of such a rite is unclear.
One of the most notable ceremonies was the Supplicia Canum, or the “punishment of the dogs,” which involved parading live dogs, suspended from a forked device, through the city. In the same procession, meanwhile, geese adorned in gold and purple were given great honor. This was meant to commemorate the Gallic siege of Rome in 390 B.C.E., during which the cries of geese alerted Romans to the nighttime assault, while the city’s watchdogs, oddly, failed to respond.
Another festival, the Robigalia, saw dogs sacrificed to the deity Robigus, who was believed to cause crop rust. The sacrifice was meant to appease Robigus and ensure a fruitful harvest.
In the Lupercalia, a festival promoting purification and fertility, dogs were among the animals sacrificed by the Luperci priests. Following the sacrifices, these priests would run through the city, striking bystanders with thongs made from the skins of the sacrificed animals, a practice believed to bestow fertility and ease childbirth.
Despite such ceremonies, however, dogs were still largely respected as protective, watchful figures.
SOLVA Dienst ArcheologiePieces of Roman-era pottery found in Velzeke.
While the exact purpose of the dog burial found at the Velzeke dig site remains unclear, Verbrugge’s assumption that it was intended as some kind of ritual sacrifice aligns with previously observed ancient Roman practices. After all, based on this recent excavation and others in the past, it is well documented that Velzeke had a rather large Roman population during antiquity.
Other Discoveries From Velzeke Showcase The City’s Roman Roots
SOLVA Dienst ArcheologieThe 3,200-square-foot archaeological site where the remains were found.
In this 3,200-square-foot area alone, archaeologists have found 700 traces of Roman settlement from the first through third centuries C.E. But according to Verbrugge, “That’s not so unusual. Previous excavations have already shown that this was a very intensively inhabited area.”
There is, in fact, a museum dedicated entirely to showcasing ancient Roman artifacts from the city. Furthermore, the city has put on reenactments of the “Caesarfeesten” (Caesar Festival) every 25 years since 1873.
SOLVA Dienst ArcheologieA Roman coin also discovered during the excavations.
“There have been excavations for decades, but now we have conducted a new excavation on the southern edge of the settlement,” Verbrugge said. “We found remains of artisanal activities, such as a well and latrines. We also discovered an area that was probably used for ritual or religious practices.”
As for the dog, it is to be cleaned and sent off for expert examination, though Verbrugge cautioned that anyone hoping to know the dog’s breed might be disappointed. “Breeds in the modern sense didn’t exist in Roman times,” she said. “That only came about in the 18th or 19th century.”
So, while the dog may not be recognizable as one of today’s breeds, the discovery still showcases just how important man’s best friend was in ancient Roman society. Just as they are today, dogs were seen as protectors, and the presence of these remains at a potential ritual site only serves as further evidence of this longstanding way of thinking.
After reading about the discovery of this ancient dog’s remains, read the remarkable stories of some of history’s most famous dogs. Then, check out our gallery of mind-blowing ancient Rome facts.
