Domestic dog skeletons at Valsgärde cemetery, Uppland, Sweden: Quantification and morphological reconstruction

Christopher Nichols

doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2021.102875

Abstract

Thirty inhumations have been excavated at the cemetery of Valsgärde in central Sweden, of which twenty-one have been dated to the Vendel Period and Viking Age (c. 550–1100 CE). Of these graves, twelve contain the positively-identifiable remains of domestic dogs (Canis familiaris). This study aimed to quantify and describe these dogs in terms of withers height and morphological type (morphotype). A minimum of twenty dogs was identified. The majority of dogs were determined to be of medium-large size, with a variety of types represented. The Viking Age graves contain fewer dogs on average than those of the Vendel Period, symptomatic of a general scaling-down of funerary assemblages at the site during this time. Despite this reduction in numbers, their persistence throughout this transition indicates the species held a significant position in the funerary traditions of the region, and certain individuals also appear to have held great personal value for their masters.

Highlights

Interment of animals alongside humans in graves was a widespread and long-enduring phenomenon of Vendel Period–Viking Age Sweden (c. 550–1100 CE; Iregren, 1997; Sten and Vretemark, 1988; Strehlau, 2018)
While both periods produced an equal number of graves containing dogs, the site features twice as many Viking Age graves as Vendel Period graves overall
The second discrepancy is in the mean number of dogs per grave in either period, with the Vendel Period graves featuring nearly twice as many dogs on average than the Viking Age graves

Summary

Introduction

Interment of animals alongside humans in graves was a widespread and long-enduring phenomenon of Vendel Period–Viking Age Sweden (c. 550–1100 CE; Iregren, 1997; Sten and Vretemark, 1988; Strehlau, 2018). The species was not demographicallyrestricted, having been found in the graves of individuals of varying age, sex, and social status, suggesting that dog ownership was wide spread and that dogs served a variety of functions. This latter suggestion is bolstered by the fact that a wide variety of different types of dog have been found from these contexts, often within the same grave, possibly indicating individuals of different function or status. Investigating the remains of these dogs and their treatment in death is likely to shed light on the complex role that these animals played

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