Study finds dog meat was consumed at Iron Age feasts in ancient Bulgaria

Archaeologists studying animal bones from Iron Age settlements in Bulgaria have found strong evidence for dog consumption between the fifth and first centuries BCE. Cut marks, burning traces, and repeated butchery patterns appear on canine bones from multiple sites. Results show dog meat formed a small but consistent part of local diets rather than an emergency food source.

Zooarchaeologist Stella Nikolova analyzed material from ten sites across Bulgaria and reviewed earlier reports from five key settlements. Dogs account for between 2 and 10 percent of identified animal bones, depending on location. Emporion Pistiros, a major inland trade center linking Greek merchants with Thracian communities, produced the largest sample. Excavations there recovered more than 80,000 animal remains. Dogs make up about 2 percent of that total.

Close inspection of Pistiros dog bones revealed metal tool cut marks on nearly one-fifth of specimens. Many cuts appear on the upper hind limbs, areas with dense muscle tissue. Similar marks appear on ribs and forelimbs. Bone fragmentation follows patterns seen in sheep and cattle, which suggests similar processing methods. Two lower jaws show burned teeth. Fire likely helped remove fur before butchery.

Most dogs consumed at Pistiros reached adulthood. This pattern differs from livestock slaughter profiles, which often favor younger animals for meat. Researchers think many dogs served as guards in settlements with large herds of domestic animals. Medium snouts and medium to large body size match modern working breeds such as German shepherds.

Context offers more clues. Excavators found butchered dog bones mixed with food waste from communal meals as well as household refuse. Such placement argues against famine use. Other protein sources appear in abundance at the same sites, including cattle, sheep, pigs, birds, fish, and wild game. Regular access to these animals weakens any link between dog consumption and scarcity.

Similar evidence appears at other Bulgarian settlements and at sites in Greece and Romania. Written sources from classical authors also mention dog meat in parts of the ancient Mediterranean. Combined archaeological and historical data point to a broader regional practice rather than an isolated custom.

Patterns across sites show repeated butchery techniques, though Pistiros displays more intensive portioning. Researchers link dog consumption with social traditions, possibly tied to feasting. Dog bones from later phases at Pistiros tell a different story. Some later layers contain complete dog burials with no butchery marks. This shift hints at changing attitudes toward dogs over time.

Ongoing work under the Corpus Animalium Thracicorum project will compare dietary roles of dogs with burial treatment at additional sites. Future analysis aims to clarify social meanings behind these choices and track cultural change across Iron Age Thrace.