Remains of Small Roman Dog Uncovered in England

OXFORD, ENGLAND—BBC News reports that the 1,800-year-old remains of a small dog standing nearly eight inches tall have been found at a Roman villa in southeastern England’s Wittenham Clumps. “The fact that this dog was so small and had bowed legs suggests that she probably wasn’t bred for hunting [and] makes it far more likely that she was kept as a house dog, lap dog, or pet,” said zooarchaeologist Hannah Russ. Romans living in other parts of the empire had begun to breed and keep small dogs as pets, she explained. Hunting and herding dogs are also likely to have lived on this farm, added Maiya Pina-Dacier of DigVentures, which is conducting the excavation. A brooch and a copper bracelet were also recovered from the site. To read about a Roman dog statue uncovered in Gloucestershire, go to "Artifact."