an investigation on dog burials in ancient Iran

Studies of mortuary practice mostly contemplate the rituals and religious beliefs of human societies and apply their data to recognize and evaluate hierarchical structures and where the deceased persons fit into them. Along with human burials, there have been numerous reports of animal burials such as dogs, and cats, both individually and in association with humans around the world. Dogs were the first and one of the most important animals domesticated by human beings, and their burials have frequently been documented in human settlements from the Upper Paleolithic period to the present day. Archaeological evidence indicates that dogs were the first animals domesticated by humans, and the practice of burying them is considered a universal phenomenon, as abundant samples have been discovered from different sites of the Old and New Worlds. Dog burials occur both individually and accompanied by human skeletons, a sign of mutual social adaptation between dogs and humans. In Iran, dog burials have been reported at the sites of Shahr-i Sokhteh, Gohar Tappeh, Qaleh Kash of Qaemshahr, Tape Rivi, Khoramabad cemetery of Meshgin Shahr, and Narges Tape (Golestan Province). The present article outlines these burials and considers their social and ritual contexts, concluding that some seem to be ritualistic, and others can be explained by the social affinity between humans and dogs.