Neolithic dog reveals tales behind Orkney's monuments
Source: The Guardian
Neolithic dog reveals tales behind Orkney's monuments
World’s first canine forensic reconstruction sheds light on lives of ancient communities
Esther Addley
Sat 13 Apr 2019 07.00 BST
The head of a dog that lived on Orkney 4,500 years ago has been recreated in what experts believe is the world’s first canine forensic reconstruction.
The dog had been domesticated in the Neolithic era on the Scottish island archipelago, but still carried wolf-like characteristics, standing about the size of a large collie, according to Historic Environment Scotland (HES) which jointly commissioned the reconstruction with the National Museum of Scotland.
It was reconstructed by a forensic artist – using techniques similar to those by crime scene investigators – from one of 24 dog skulls that were excavated by archaeologists in Cuween Hill, a delicate passage tomb on Orkney’s Mainland, and which have been radiocarbon-dated to 2,500BC.
The tomb had been built, using a similar intricate corbelling technique to that used at the better-known monument Maeshowe, about 600 years earlier and used for human burial. The reason for the later deposit of canine remains is a mystery. “People have speculated as to whether the fact you get so many dogs in one tomb, which is very, very unusual, suggests there was some kind of totemic thing,” said Alison Sheridan of the National Museum of Scotland.
-snip-
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/apr/13/neolithic-dog-reveals-tales-behind-orkney-monuments
