What can osteometric analyses tell us about domestic dogs recovered from a multicomponent indigenous site in Vermont?

Abstract

Osteometric data from archaeological remains are fundamental in zooarchaeological analyses of domestic dogs. We apply recently developed methods to a small sample of dog remains recovered from the Ewing site, a multicomponent precontact Native American site in Vermont, northeastern North America. We measure dimensions of limb bone ends and pulp-width ratios from dental radiographs to estimate dog body mass and age at death based on published regression equations. Our analysis estimates the body mass of the Ewing dogs and demonstrates adult size differences characterized dogs in the precontact Northeast. Their range in size is consistent with supporting hunting activities rather than regular load transport. The range of ages of dogs in the sample suggests that dogs did not die only of old age. All of the Ewing dogs were butchered for food and/or skins. The osteometric analysis of the Ewing dogs contributes much needed osteometric data on dogs in northeastern America.Our results highlight the potential of small samples, legacy collections, and the importance of building a quantitative, comparative, osteometric dataset for the region.