Professor Michael MacKinnon, University of Winnipeg

Did the Greeks and Romans Care for their Pets? – Investigations from Archaeological Remains

Pet-keeping was a widespread and well-accepted phenomenon in Greek and Roman antiquity. Animals kept or considered as ‘pets’ among these cultures included mammals and birds, but also reptiles, amphibians, fish, and even insects. Emotional attachment to such animals could run deep, with elaborate accounts of fidelity, attention, and care noted amongst ancient textual, iconographical, and archaeological sources. Dogs appear most often in this context. A survey and analysis of skeletal pathological conditions from zooarchaeological dog remains among ancient Greek and Roman sites (largely focused on the Mediterranean region) reveals patterns of osteological health and welfare that, in turn provide an indication of human treatment and care for these animals during antiquity. Smaller ‘toy’ breeds of dogs appear more susceptible to multiple pathological conditions, but also display signs of greater human care, especially in terms of pampering and feeding. Parallels may be drawn between the care and investment some modern cultures may devote to their ‘pet’ animals and those of antiquity – a testament to perhaps universal emotive responses ‘pet’ animals might elicit among their human owners and providers.

Michael MacKinnon (PhD University of Alberta) reconstructs the role of animals in antiquity through integrative analyses involving ancient textual, artistic and archaeological data. His publications include Production and Consumption of Animals in Roman Italy: Integrating the Zooarchaeological and Textual Evidence (2004), and ‘State of the Discipline: Osteological Research in Classical Archaeology’, American Journal of Archaeology 111: 473-504.

The seminar will be held online at 4PM GMT, 12th December 2024: the link to join the seminar is here.