Un giorno da cani

The settlement site of Riccione-IPERCOOP presents different occupational phases dating between the late Eneolithic and the Bronze Age. Excavations identified a functional and a residential area separated by an empty space. In the residential area, an unusual multiple dogs “burial” was found in the filling of a small pit measuring 50 cm in diameter and 20 cm in depth. The event is chronologically framed in the transitional phase between the late Eneolithic and the beginning of the early Bronze Age. Remains of four dogs have been found within the pit. The animals were of medium to small size, two adults of different ages, a sub-adult and a puppy. Although the involvement of dogs in ritual practices and the consumption of their meat as food were not uncommon during prehistory, in this case there is no evidence to support either of these practices. It is an exceptional discovery that deserves a detailed presentation and discussion.