Taking the dog for a walk seems like a tradition as old as time itself.
But now we are one step closer to finding out exactly when the special connection between a man and his dog began.
Archaeologists have found evidence of the oldest known ‘walkies’. And not only was it roughly 7,500 years ago, but it was also an epic 250 miles...
How we've been walking the dog for 7,500 years: Discovery of tooth near Stonehenge shows animals accompanied humans as they travelled around the country
A tooth belonging to a dog dating back 7,500 years has been discovered
It was found in the grounds of a nursing home just a mile from Stonehenge
Researchers say it points to the early connections between man and dog
By Colin Fernandez Science Correspondent For The Daily Mail
7 October 2016
Taking the dog for a walk seems like a tradition as old as time itself.
But now we are one step closer to finding out exactly when the special connection between a man and his dog began.
Archaeologists have found evidence of the oldest known ‘walkies’. And not only was it roughly 7,500 years ago, but it was also an epic 250 miles.
A tooth belonging to a domesticated dog thought to resemble an Alsatian has been found in the grounds of a nursing home a mile from Stonehenge.
A tooth belonging to a domesticated dog thought to resemble an Alsatian from 7,500 years ago has been found in the grounds of a nursing home a mile from Stonehenge
Analysis reveals that the dog was originally from the Vale of York.
For the tooth to be found at Blick Mead, Wiltshire, means it must have accompanied humans to the site during the Mesolithic era.
This was 2,000 years before the big stone monuments were erected at Stonehenge. Bones also found at the site – gnawed by dogs – include those of an auroch, a type of huge, aggressive cow.
Other bones found nearby show the dog would have feasted on salmon, trout, pike, wild pig and red deer.
The discovery adds to the weight of evidence that people came to meet in the Stonehenge area millennia before the monument was built
Bones also found at the site – gnawed by dogs – include those of an auroch (left), the ancestor of modern cattle, the last of which died in Poland in 1627
David Jacques, a senior research fellow at the University of Buckingham, said the findings were significant because archaeologists did not know people travelled such long distances.
He said it also adds to the weight of evidence that people came to meet in the Stonehenge area millennia before the monument was built.
Previous excavations at the site uncovered a slate tool from Wales and stone tools from the Midlands and West of England.
As the Ice Age had just ended, one of the attractions of Blick Mead would have been a natural spring in which the only puce stones in the country could be found.
It would also have been relatively easy to reach because of the nearby River Avon, which was a major transport route at the time.
Burnt stones, wood and auroch bones from the site indicate that it was popular for feasting, an important ritual activity.
Mr Jacques said: ‘The fact that a dog and a group of people were coming to the area from such a long distance away further underlines just how important the place was four millennia before the circle was built.
‘Discoveries like this give us a completely new understanding of the establishment of the ritual landscape and make Stonehenge even more special than we thought we knew it was.’
He added that the population of Britain at the time is thought to have been 20,000-50,000.
He said: ‘These were small, disparate populations that needed to come together to exchange ideas and technologies.
It is thought that for the animal accompanied its human owners on the long journey from York in the north of England to the site of Blick Mead in Wiltshire, a few miles from Stonehenge
‘For these people, meeting would have been like Glastonbury mixed with Google.’
Andy Rhind-Tutt, chairman of Amesbury Museum and Heritage Trust, said: ‘These amazing discoveries at Blick Mead are writing the history books of Mesolithic Britain.
‘A dog tooth from York, a slate tool from Wales and a stone tool from the Midlands show that this wasn’t just the place to live at the end of the Ice Age, but was known by our ancestors for a long time widely across Britain. They kept coming here.’
Previous finds at the site have shown that Mesolithic man used to feast on toads’ legs.
At the time of the discovery in 2013, Mr Jacques said: ‘It would appear that thousands of years ago people were eating a Heston Blumenthal-style menu on this site.
'It consisted of toads’ legs, aurochs, wild boar and red deer with hazelnuts for main, a course of salmon and trout and finishing off with blackberries.’
A LONG WALK FOR FIDO
The finding of a fossilised canine tooth so close to Stonehenge highlights the long partnerships between man and dog.
Archaeologists believe the ancient tooth, which was found a few miles from the site of Stonehenge, is believed to have belonged to a German shepherd-like dog which lived 7,500 years ago.
It is thought that for the animal accompanied its human owners on the long journey from York in the north of England to the site of Blick Mead in Wiltshire.
A DOG'S TALE: MIGRATION AROUND THE WORLD IN BRIEF
The domestication of dogs is thought to have begun in South East Asia 33,000 years ago.
This is when grey wolves are believed to have hunted alongside ancient humans.
Around 15,000 years ago, a subset of dog ancestors started to migrate towards the Middle East and Africa, reaching Europe approximately 10,000 years ago.
Although scientists believe this dispersal was associated with the movement of humans, the first migration of the domestic dog out of South East Asia may have been self-initiated.
This may have been owing to environmental factors, such as the retreat of glaciers, which started approximately 19,000 years ago.
Dogs from one of these groups then travelled back towards northern China, where they encountered Asian dogs that had migrated from South East Asia.
These two groups interbred, before spreading to the Americas.
But now we are one step closer to finding out exactly when the special connection between a man and his dog began.
Archaeologists have found evidence of the oldest known ‘walkies’. And not only was it roughly 7,500 years ago, but it was also an epic 250 miles...
How we've been walking the dog for 7,500 years: Discovery of tooth near Stonehenge shows animals accompanied humans as they travelled around the country
A tooth belonging to a dog dating back 7,500 years has been discovered
It was found in the grounds of a nursing home just a mile from Stonehenge
Researchers say it points to the early connections between man and dog
By Colin Fernandez Science Correspondent For The Daily Mail
7 October 2016
Taking the dog for a walk seems like a tradition as old as time itself.
But now we are one step closer to finding out exactly when the special connection between a man and his dog began.
Archaeologists have found evidence of the oldest known ‘walkies’. And not only was it roughly 7,500 years ago, but it was also an epic 250 miles.
A tooth belonging to a domesticated dog thought to resemble an Alsatian has been found in the grounds of a nursing home a mile from Stonehenge.
A tooth belonging to a domesticated dog thought to resemble an Alsatian from 7,500 years ago has been found in the grounds of a nursing home a mile from Stonehenge
Analysis reveals that the dog was originally from the Vale of York.
For the tooth to be found at Blick Mead, Wiltshire, means it must have accompanied humans to the site during the Mesolithic era.
This was 2,000 years before the big stone monuments were erected at Stonehenge. Bones also found at the site – gnawed by dogs – include those of an auroch, a type of huge, aggressive cow.
Other bones found nearby show the dog would have feasted on salmon, trout, pike, wild pig and red deer.
The discovery adds to the weight of evidence that people came to meet in the Stonehenge area millennia before the monument was built
Bones also found at the site – gnawed by dogs – include those of an auroch (left), the ancestor of modern cattle, the last of which died in Poland in 1627
David Jacques, a senior research fellow at the University of Buckingham, said the findings were significant because archaeologists did not know people travelled such long distances.
He said it also adds to the weight of evidence that people came to meet in the Stonehenge area millennia before the monument was built.
Previous excavations at the site uncovered a slate tool from Wales and stone tools from the Midlands and West of England.
As the Ice Age had just ended, one of the attractions of Blick Mead would have been a natural spring in which the only puce stones in the country could be found.
It would also have been relatively easy to reach because of the nearby River Avon, which was a major transport route at the time.
Burnt stones, wood and auroch bones from the site indicate that it was popular for feasting, an important ritual activity.
Mr Jacques said: ‘The fact that a dog and a group of people were coming to the area from such a long distance away further underlines just how important the place was four millennia before the circle was built.
‘Discoveries like this give us a completely new understanding of the establishment of the ritual landscape and make Stonehenge even more special than we thought we knew it was.’
He added that the population of Britain at the time is thought to have been 20,000-50,000.
He said: ‘These were small, disparate populations that needed to come together to exchange ideas and technologies.
It is thought that for the animal accompanied its human owners on the long journey from York in the north of England to the site of Blick Mead in Wiltshire, a few miles from Stonehenge
‘For these people, meeting would have been like Glastonbury mixed with Google.’
Andy Rhind-Tutt, chairman of Amesbury Museum and Heritage Trust, said: ‘These amazing discoveries at Blick Mead are writing the history books of Mesolithic Britain.
‘A dog tooth from York, a slate tool from Wales and a stone tool from the Midlands show that this wasn’t just the place to live at the end of the Ice Age, but was known by our ancestors for a long time widely across Britain. They kept coming here.’
Previous finds at the site have shown that Mesolithic man used to feast on toads’ legs.
At the time of the discovery in 2013, Mr Jacques said: ‘It would appear that thousands of years ago people were eating a Heston Blumenthal-style menu on this site.
'It consisted of toads’ legs, aurochs, wild boar and red deer with hazelnuts for main, a course of salmon and trout and finishing off with blackberries.’
A LONG WALK FOR FIDO
The finding of a fossilised canine tooth so close to Stonehenge highlights the long partnerships between man and dog.
Archaeologists believe the ancient tooth, which was found a few miles from the site of Stonehenge, is believed to have belonged to a German shepherd-like dog which lived 7,500 years ago.
It is thought that for the animal accompanied its human owners on the long journey from York in the north of England to the site of Blick Mead in Wiltshire.
A DOG'S TALE: MIGRATION AROUND THE WORLD IN BRIEF
The domestication of dogs is thought to have begun in South East Asia 33,000 years ago.
This is when grey wolves are believed to have hunted alongside ancient humans.
Around 15,000 years ago, a subset of dog ancestors started to migrate towards the Middle East and Africa, reaching Europe approximately 10,000 years ago.
Although scientists believe this dispersal was associated with the movement of humans, the first migration of the domestic dog out of South East Asia may have been self-initiated.
This may have been owing to environmental factors, such as the retreat of glaciers, which started approximately 19,000 years ago.
Dogs from one of these groups then travelled back towards northern China, where they encountered Asian dogs that had migrated from South East Asia.
These two groups interbred, before spreading to the Americas.
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