Beyond Domestication: Investigations into the Human-Canine Connection

The interpersonal relationships humans have with domesticated dogs have a great influence on the way in which these animals are conceptualized in terms of both their value and social standing within a human group. Once domesticated, dogs filled many different roles within human societies, from beast of burden to food resources to companions. These relationships were likely multifaceted and may not always be easily discernible in the archaeological record. However, new research questions and investigative techniques are beginning to elucidate the ways that humans valued dogs in the past. The papers within this session provide a better understanding of the human-canine relationship through the integration of multiple lines of evidence, including zooarchaeology, ethnohistory, and cutting-edge scientific methods of analysis. By identifying the place that domesticated dogs occupied within a given human society we hope to be able to better understand the value that past peoples placed on this relationship. These works will contribute to broader anthropological discussions about human interactions with their environment as well as the lived experiences of humans and their dogs in the past.