“We suggest that at least some Paleolithic humans regarded some of their dogs not merely materialistically, in terms of their utilitarian value, but already had a strong emotional bond with these animals,” says Giemsch. What cuddly lapdog was once used as a stealth weapon? But the remains of the Bonn-Oberkassel dog hint at more.
Most theories revolve around the many uses humans have for dogs, like hunting, guarding, and herding. Human motivation for domesticating dogs is also not fully understood. “How much earlier domestic dogs existed is up for debate, with some people saying they might go back to 30,000 years ago.” “On the basis of current data, which is not fantastically copious, it’s clear we had domestic dogs by at least 15,000 years ago,” says Keith Dobney, an archaeologist at the University of Liverpool who was not involved in the study. The exact time and place where dogs were first domesticated is unknown. Without this care, the authors conclude, the puppy would not have survived. This might have included keeping the puppy warm and clean and providing it with water and food. “It probably could only have survived thanks to intensive and long-lasting human care and nursing.” “Since distemper is a life-threatening sickness with very high mortality rates, the dog must have been perniciously ill between the ages of 19 and 23 weeks,” says Liane Giemsch, paper co-author and curator at the Archäologisches Museum Frankfurt. Neurological signs like seizures can occur during the third week. Courtesy the University of Alberta.Įarly symptoms of distemper include fever, not eating, dehydration, lethargy, diarrhea, and vomiting. WATCH: Recently discovered graves suggest that humans loved and cared for dogs even in prehistoric times. Telltale signs on the animal’s teeth revealed it probably contracted canine distemper virus at about 19 weeks old, and may have suffered two or three periods of serious illness lasting five to six weeks. The puppy was about 28 weeks old when it died.
“Archaeologists aren’t always looking for evidence of disease or thinking about the clinical implications, but as a vet, I have had a lot of experience looking for these things in modern dogs.”ĭiscover the storied history of this ancient, hairless dog. “I’m lucky because I am both a veterinarian and an archaeologist,” says Janssens. In examining the remains, veterinarian and Leiden University PhD candidate Luc Janssens noticed problems with the teeth that had not been previously reported. Now, new analyses show this puppy was not only domesticated, it also appears to have been well cared for. It is the oldest known grave where humans and dogs were buried together and provides some of the earliest evidence of domestication.
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