Dog penis bone found in Surrey.
“Mysterious” 2,000-year-old dog penis bone was painted red and would have been a ritual object. It was discovered in a pit of a Roman-era quarry containing 300 human and animal bones.
While excavating a Roman-era site in Ewell, England, a team of archaeologists came across a peculiar find: a dog penis bone 2,000 years old, painted with red ochre.
Found next to about 300 human and animal bonesin a quarry pit, the bone may have been part of an ancient ritual, according to a Dec. 25 study in the Oxford Journal of Archeology.
The well, almost 4 meters deep, was excavated in 2015 and dates from the end of the first or beginning of the second century. Among the remains were the bones of more than 280 domestic animals, mostly dogs — according to the authors, without signs of slaughter, burns or disease.
A ritual object
Most of the dogs found were small breeds, such as terriers or corgis, suggesting they were not used for herding or guarding.
The team of Ellen Greena bioarchaeologist at the University of Reading, analyzed the painted bone in detail with X-ray fluorescence. The test revealed that the bone’s red color was the same as the painted bone and that it comes from iron oxideor ochre, which will have been intentionally applied to the bone before being deposited.
To reinforce the theory of purposeful application, there are no natural sources of iron oxide on site. Furthermore, the painted bone was peeled before the ocher was applied, implying deliberate preparation.
In Roman culture, the penis symbolizes fertility and protection against evil.often serving as a good luck charm, and are often represented in spirit scares as a symbol of masculine power.
“This is the only example I have found of a real penis being potentially used as a ritual object“, he said to , which links this canine penis to the fertility and abundance desired by the Romans.
The hypothesis that the bioarchaeologist raises is supported by the large number of young animals found in the well and the seasonal timing of their births, which aligns with the planting periods for crops such as barley in spring and summer.
“The penis had many associations in the Roman world and was used as a good luck charm and to ward off the evil eye”, reinforces Green.
Well had ritual activity for half a century
The site also reveals evidence of repeated use over 50 yearswith at least nine distinct deposits made at different times. Some bones appear to have been removed, handled, and then replaced.
While there are no direct parallels to this artifact in Roman or Iron Age Britain, similar objects were often linked to agricultural fertility and the cult of the “mother goddess” in other European rituals, the author notes—but this “very unique” artifact of a very unique place ends up being a bit mysterious“.
“I have been unable to find other similar cases of Roman use of red ocher on bones, nor any examples from the British Iron Age,” Green stressed.
Tomás Guimarães, ZAP //
