Archaeologists have recently revealed the remains of a very well-preserved dog in ancient Rome. This finding highlights the prevalence of ritual sacrifices in ancient times.
Excavation survey results It was announced on March 21 by the Solva Archeology Service, an organization affiliated with the Belgian government. (See the video at the top of this article.)
Arne Verbrugge, a Flanders archaeologist in Belgium, told Fox News Digital that excavations were carried out at a former Roman regional centre called Vikas in the village of Verseke.
Excavation near where Jesus was crucified and buried in ancient discoveries
The photo shows that the dog’s mouth is almost intact. Some teeth were held, and the entire skeleton was held. The creature was found under a stone floor that aided its preservation, Verbrugge said.
“Most of the bones we found in our area Roman era “In certain contexts such as wells and grooves, conservation is slightly better,” he said.
Belgian Archaeological Services announced the discovery of ancient dog bodies in March. (Solva Dienst Archeologie)
He added, “The dogs were buried under a very calcareous sandstone foundation, so the remains are very well preserved.”
Dogs were used in “various ritual practices” during the Roman era. Archaeologist He said – he even considered him the “guardian” of the graves of a deceased human. Animals were often ritually killed and ritually killed to guide their journey into life after death.
Archaeologists discover long-failed tombs of an unknown pharaoh in Egypt
However, it appears that the dog recently discovered was actually sacrificed for the building, not for humans. This is a rare find in Belgium.
“from [the Roman scholar] Varro’s work “De re Rustica,” appears to have been used occasionally to cleanse land and houses in rituals,” Verbrugge says.
The dogs discovered by scientists are very well preserved thanks to the buried stone floor. (Solva Dienst Archeologie)
“For the sacrifice of the Verseke building, they may have first “cleansed” the site before they wanted to build the building. ”
He said that the relationship with “cleaning” also emerges from the practice of sacrificeing dogs (and other animals) at the festival of Lupercaria, in honor of Faunus, which is associated with fertility and purification, as Plutarch mentioned.
It appears that the recently discovered dog was actually sacrificed for the building.
The stone building where the dog was buried had probably had some important purpose, Verbrugge said.
This was the first building-related dog sacrifice seen in Flanders, but similar examples have been found in France and the UK.
Some pottery had images of dogs highlighting the role of dogs in ancient Roman society. (Solva Dienst Archeologie)
“The building could have been large, but the foundations are not well preserved everywhere,” Verbrugge said.
“Stone foundations are not common Roman era In this area, they testify to the specific status of the building. They are only found in villas and public buildings with military, administrative or religious functions. ”
He also said, “The presence of stone buildings indicates important buildings on the site.”
Click here to sign up for our Lifestyle Newsletter
Verbrugge pointed out that the exact one is accurate, but the dog ruins first studied at the excavation site will undergo further testing Dog breed It’s lost in time.
“When the body is cleaned, the bones themselves are examined again,” Verbrugge said.
For more lifestyle articles, please visit foxnews.com/lifestyle
“We can probably guess certain things from this, such as the cause of death, illness, age, gender, etc. This animal cannot be assigned to a particular ‘breed’. [creating] Certain varieties are quite recent practices. ”
The excavator also found several well-preserved beverage cups at the settlement site. (Solva Dienst Archeologie)
Archaeologists also discovered many other artifacts on the site, including another dog bone, a young pig bone, about 33 unharmed drinking cups, and a bronze bowl, but Verbrugge characterized those discoveries as settled waste or garbage rather than ritual offerings.
“The discovery testifies to a A rich culture This place is based, among other things, on imported luxury ceramics, gems, and even silver coins,” he said.
Click here to get the Fox News app
“The pits often contain slag or fragments from the walls of ovens, indicating artisan activity right in the vicinity. At one point, ritual or religious activities took place at some excavation sites.”
