Evidencias sobre el uso del perro en la carga durante el Bronce Inicial en la Península Ibérica: el caso de Can Roqueta II (Sabadell, Barcelona)

Abstract

This paper describes the pathologies on the spinal column of two dogs retrieved in ritual pits from the Early Bronze Age (2.300-1.300 cal BC) at the site of Can Roqueta II (Sabadell, Barcelona). The X-ray analyses reveal both a thickening and bending of the neural processes of some dorsal and lumbar vertebrae consistent with reactive musculo-skeletical stresses most likely produced by loads placed on the back of the animals. This finding points to the use of dogs as pack animals at this time, reinforcing archaeological evidence from other parts of the world as well as ethnographic data from Europe and North America.