Child and dog, an intimate relationship till death

BERÓN, MÓNICA ALEJANDRA

San Rafael

Congreso; 12th International Conference or Archeozoology (ICAZ).; 2014

Museo de Historia Natural de San Rafael

Among the various links between man and animals, one of the closest is the one that implies its presence in mortuary contexts. When associated taxa are domestic, this relationship is even closer, since bonding typically generated with man. Within this context, the domestic dog has received special attention in archaeological studies as it is one of the earliest animals linked to the everyday life of human groups. In Western Pampa (Argentina) a burial structure which combines the presence of a specimen of Canis familiaris with a young child was found in a cemetery of hunter-gatherer called site Chenque I. A taxon dated of 930 ± 30 years BP (UGA 02006 ) was obtained, which places it in prehispanic times. This performance suggests burial alternatives about the social behavior of this population with respect to their pets: bonds of care and affection , relationships of loyalty and fidelity, use as prestige items, animal sacrifices, among others. In this work, these alternatives will be explored in relation to the characteristics of both buried individuals and changes in social and political structures of these societies.