1800-Year-Old Remains of 'Smallest' Dog From Roman-Britain Era Unearthed in England, Wasn't Bred for Hunting

According to researchers, the remains of a pooch unearthed from Wittenham Clumps in Oxfordshire were unlike most dogs of its time. The 1800-year-old dog belonged to the Roman-Britain era and was allegedly a "much-loved pet, " BBC reported.

Most dogs during the period were fairly long since they were used for hunting, but this one, judging by its bone structure, did not invest in any laborious pursuits. The finding is one of the smallest dogs ever discovered in the U.K. with a length of just 20cm.

The remains were uncovered from a villa site in 2023 that a wealthy Roman family possibly owned, BBC reported. The spot now serves as the headquarters of an environmental charity Earth Trust. The digging was monitored by archeologists from DigVentures, a social enterprise that organizes crowdfunded archaeological excavations.

Analysis points towards the dog being a female but more conclusive evidence is needed to validate this claim, DigVentures reported. The remains were found in the burial area associated with the villa. Researchers are yet to figure out if the dog was laid to rest with its owner. Along with the pooch, the remains of 15 other middle-sized dogs were also unearthed from the site. The pooch is among the five smallest Roman dogs ever discovered in the U.K.

Experts think that the dog primarily lived in the house rather than worked in the hunting grounds because of its bone structure, BBC reported. "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," Hannah Russ, a zooarchaeologist who analyzed the animal remains said. The discovery makes researchers believe that the practice of having dogs for companionship has been around for almost 1800 years in Britain.

Archeologists also found domestic items such as cooking utensils including a ladle, colander or strainer, cleaver, and storage jars, along with several personal items, DigVentures reported. All these items gave experts an idea of how people in the Roman-Britain era moved around in their personal lives.

"This site provides a snapshot of domestic life in Roman Britain; it’s like peering into someone’s home. The villa would have been occupied by a relatively wealthy Roman family, who ran a farm with an assortment of working animals, including hunting or herding dogs – as well as this tiny canine," Maiya Pina-Dacier from the organization said.

Not all animals discovered at the site were house pets, DigVentures reported. Archeologists found evidence of chickens, geese, pigs, cattle, sheep or goats, and horses, donkeys, or mules, having lived on the site and believe they were used for farming. Ravens and crow remains found at the site could have been used for ceremonial purposes, as per researchers.