Buzz
For thousands of years, humans have buried animals for various reasons: rituals, beliefs, and emotional ties. Our intricate connection with animals, especially in death, mirrors both our historical lifestyle and spiritual practices.
In many instances, these buried animals were pets, laid to rest beside their human companions. In other cases, they were offered as sacrifices. Some burials indicated that these animals were seen as integral members of the community, equal to people.
10. Celtic Hybrids
In 2015, British archaeologists uncovered an ancient settlement in Dorset, filled with strange animal hybrids. The Celts there arranged animal bones to create chimeras. One cow had its legs swapped with those of a horse. Another cow had its jaw replaced with that of an equine. A dog skull was adorned with three cow jaws. These chimeras, dating back to the late first century AD, were found in abandoned storage pits beneath the entrance to the site’s nearly 200 homes.
The archaeologists also unearthed a human sacrificial victim. The young woman had her throat cut before being buried on a bed of animal bones. The remains of cattle, sheep, pigs, horses, and dogs were carefully arranged to reflect her form. Her head lay on a bed of skulls, and animal legs supported her limbs. Researchers believe the Durotriges tribe inhabited this eight-acre site from 100 to 10 BC.
9. Living and Dying Among Humans
In 2011, archaeologists uncovered an ancient dog burial in Siberia that revealed the animal was regarded as an essential part of its owner's community. Dated to 7,000 years ago, this Husky-like dog was buried in a manner similar to human burials.
The dog had suffered injuries consistent with physical labor, indicating it worked alongside humans. It was buried with a long antler spoon—identical to those found in nearby human graves. The remains were discovered on its right side in a gravel pit at the Shamanka cemetery near Lake Baikal.
Isotope analysis showed that the dog’s diet was identical to its human companions, including freshwater seal, fish, deer, small mammals, and plants. Stress on its vertebrae indicated the dog frequently carried heavy loads.
Fractures in the dog’s body suggest it endured several blunt force injuries, possibly from red deer hooves during hunts. While some argue that humans might have inflicted the wounds, the dog’s burial and diet suggest otherwise.
8. Creatures in Sacred Ground
In February 2017, British archaeologists made an unusual discovery of animal remains on the grounds of a church in Shropshire. They unearthed two dogs, a calf, several birds, and a pig, along with the remains of a young woman and a pit containing human skulls.
One dog’s remains, which had died while giving birth, were described by researchers as “unprecedented.” The pig was found inside a leather-covered coffin, and the animal bones were buried alongside human remains.
The strange animal burial was discovered beneath a Greek Orthodox church. However, its foundations date back much earlier—possibly to the early Medieval or even Saxon period. The bones show no signs of butchery, suggesting they were deliberately placed at the site.
The bones may predate Christianity, as burying animals in consecrated ground is prohibited. Some speculate that the burials may be linked to a nearby Bronze Age settlement, with ancient human burial mounds located just a few hundred meters away.
7. Hopewell Bobcat Burial
In 2011, PhD student Angela Perri made an intriguing discovery in a box labeled “puppy burial.” She uncovered the remains of a bobcat, adorned with a necklace of marine shells and bear tooth pendants. The bobcat, buried at four to seven months old, had originally been unearthed in the 1980s.
Faced with an upcoming highway project, archaeologists quickly moved to protect 14 earthen mounds along the Illinois River, dating back to the Hopewell culture. Among the findings were the remains of 22 humans. These ancient hunter-gatherers were known to bury their canines, leading researchers to initially assume the creature was a dog.
The bobcat's remains showed no signs of trauma, indicating it was not sacrificed. Its necklace and the careful positioning of its paws suggest it was intentionally buried.
Perri noted that the burial of the bobcat “suggests the animal held a very special place in the lives of these people.” She theorizes that the bobcat was likely found in the wild as an orphan.
6. Aztec Dog Burial
In 2014, Mexican archaeologists uncovered the remains of twelve dogs buried together in the ancient Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. This burial, dated to 500 years ago, is the first of its kind in the region, not linked to any structure or human remains.
According to Aztec mythology, dogs were believed to guide their masters to Mictlan, the realm of the dead. The dog-headed god, Xolotl, was also deeply associated with the underworld.
Dating from AD 1350 to 1520, the dog burial was located in Azcapotzalco, a neighborhood in the northwestern part of Mexico City. The remains were found about 1.5 meters (5 ft) beneath the street, and they were well-preserved and complete.
Despite the discovery, researchers have not been able to identify a specific pattern in the dogs' burial. The date of the burial was determined through nearby pottery. Evidence suggests that the people of Azcapotzalco consumed dogs, and it's possible the Aztecs raised them primarily for their meat.
5. Roman-Era Pet Cemetery
In November 2016, archaeologists revealed the discovery of 86 feline graves in an “Early Roman trash dump” located at the ancient military port of Berenike on the Red Sea. Dated between the late first century AD and early second century AD, this Egyptian animal burial site appears to be a pet cemetery, rather than a religious site.
Animal graves meant for religious purposes typically contain artifacts, but the only objects discovered in the Berenike graves were a bead made of ostrich eggshell and an iron collar from a vervet monkey.
Researchers believe these animals were likely pets that died of natural causes. It has long been established that cats were killed and mummified on a large scale in ancient Egypt.
This recent discovery, however, provides insight into what occurred when pets passed away of natural causes. Multiple burials were found containing two cats each, with one grave holding an adult and a juvenile in each case.
4. The Horse Grave Of Duke Jing Of Qi
In 1964, archaeologists uncovered 251 horse skeletons, carefully arranged within the tomb of Duke Jing of Qi. While other horse sacrifice sites have been discovered in China, none rival the scale of this burial site.
It is believed that the horses were intoxicated with alcohol before being rendered unconscious and clubbed on the head. These horses were between five and seven years old at the time of their sacrifice. In addition to the horses, 30 dogs, two pigs, and six unidentified domestic animals were also found.
The tomb of Duke Jing of Qi is located in Yatou, Shandong Province. Duke Jing ruled the state of Qi from 547 to 490 BC. Born to a concubine of Duke Ling of Qi, he succeeded his older half-brother, Duke Zhuang, as ruler.
Historical records indicate that Duke Jing had an intense fascination with horses. Some researchers speculate that there could be as many as 600 more horse skeletons yet to be uncovered at his burial site.
3. Egyptian Exotic Trade’s Ugly Secrets
Exotic animals were seen as symbols of status in ancient Egypt. In 1979, a 5,000-year-old cemetery was uncovered in Hierakonpolis, shedding light on the brutality associated with this practice.
One particular tomb contained baboon skeletons, many of which had fractured hand and foot bones, along with injuries from defending themselves. In addition, archaeologists unearthed injured cows, antelopes, and a young hippo that had broken its leg while attempting to escape.
The burial site also yielded two elephants, a pair of crocodiles, a leopard, and nine other exotic animals near the graves of wealthy Egyptians. Experts believe the animals were sacrificed after their owners' deaths. The evidence of healing in the injuries suggests that these animals were kept in captivity for extended periods before their demise.
Richard Redding from the University of Michigan proposes that the animals may have been injured during capture, not from beatings while in captivity. Further exotic burials found later in Hierakonpolis show fewer injuries, indicating that Egyptians became more skilled in taming animals over time.
2. The Dogs Of Ust-Polui
In July 2016, a 2,000-year-old burial site was uncovered near the Arctic Circle in Siberia, revealing five dogs. This intriguing discovery offered insight into the multifaceted roles dogs played at Ust-Polui, where they served as companions, workers, sources of food, and possibly even sacrificial offerings.
What is most remarkable about the dogs at Ust-Polui is their overwhelming number. While other Arctic locations typically have no more than 10 dog burials, experts have discovered 115 at Ust-Polui.
Archaeologists uncovered sled remains and a knife handle adorned with a depiction of a sled dog, implying that the dogs of Ust-Polui served as pack animals. At one location, 15 dog skulls were found stacked together, all with their braincases fractured.
It remains uncertain whether the dogs were sacrificed or consumed due to hunger. However, the practice of dog sacrifice in Siberia has long been documented as a way to appease the gods and ensure the health of the community.
1. Compound Crocodile Mummies
On November 18, 2016, the Dutch National Museum of Antiquities unveiled an exhibit featuring a virtual autopsy of a 2,500-year-old mummified crocodile. The initial CT scan in 1996 revealed that the nearly 3-meter (10 ft) mummy was actually composed of two smaller crocodiles.
Upon a recent reexamination with a 3-D CT scanner, it was discovered that the mummy contained the two crocodiles along with numerous baby crocodiles. The updated imaging also uncovered amulets hidden within the linen wrappings.
Some Egyptologists believe the multiple-croc mummy might be linked to the Egyptian religious traditions of rejuvenation and reincarnation. Others theorize that it was a tribute to the crocodile god Sobek.
Faced with a large sacrifice requirement but without access to big specimens, expert embalmers combined several crocodiles, wood, rope, and linen to create a massive mummy. Sobek, the god of the army, fertility, crocodiles, and the Nile, had been a revered deity in Egypt since the Old Kingdom period.
