Sweden: 8,400-yr-old dog who was buried with his master excavated from 'Hunter Stone Age'

Archaeologists in Sweden have found a grave of an 8,400-year-old dog, buried alongside his master in Ljungaviken in Sölvesborg. The Stone Age-era dog was excavated 350 miles south of Stockholm, in an area where at least 51 large house construction ruins have also been unearthed. According to a release by the Blekinge Museum, the civilization from Hunter Stone Age was destroyed by massive flooding and the pile of mud had buried the bodies underneath the ground which have been discovered in the mass investigation for the first time in eight millennia. 

“This is one of the oldest grave finds of dogs in the country," osteologist Ola Magnell said in the release during the Archaeological investigation in Lund. "The dog is well preserved and the fact that it is buried in the middle of the Stone Age settlement is unique,” he added.

The museum shared photos of the skeletal remains. Archaeologists stated that the artifacts were extremely nicely preserved for many centuries ago under the sand. Upon the preliminary exam of the bones discovered in the grave, scientists predicted that the breed of the dog could have been a greyhound. Furthermore, archaeologists also discovered large amounts of flint, fireplaces, and the remains of large building structures.

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Excavation for municipality of Sölvesborg

"We hope to be able to lift the whole dog up in preparations, ie with soil and everything, and continue the investigations at Blekinge Museum's object magazine." project manager Carl Persson at Blekinge museum said. “A find like this makes you feel even closer to the people who lived here,” he added.

Further, Persson said, “A buried dog somehow shows how similar we are over the millennia the same feelings of loss.” The findings made team connected with the people of the civilization as more information is unveiled after the dog’s remains were found. The excavation was carried out on behalf of the municipality of Sölvesborg, Blekinge Museum, together with Sydsvensk Archeology and the scientists. It is one of the largest archaeological excavations in Blekinge ever. Funds were granted by the Sölvesborg and the National Heritage Board and the investigation has been ongoing since 2015. 

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