Archeologists discovered some 1,400 dog graves scattered around the Israeli port city of Ashkelon. The burials spanned a period of about eight decades during the fifth and fourth centuries BC when Ashkelon was part of the Persian Empire. The number of dog burials are believed to be much higher, but due to the erosion of the site by the sea the original number cannot be established. Two-thirds of the skeletal remains found were puppies.
According to archeologist Daniel Master, "The dog cemetery at Tel Ashkelon is a mystery, but despite the many artifacts discovered in the archaeological excavations, we have no clue to why people who lived in the Old City thousands of years ago decided to bury thousands of dogs in a short period of time." He believes the dogs were street dogs and not pets, and the cause of death was not sacrificial. He also says there isn't any evidence that they were diseased. "If it were a disease, we might have expected a whole bunch of dogs to die at once. It wasn’t a situation where you have a mass grave." He believes the deaths were more likely due to natural causes.
According to zoo archeologist Deirdre Fulton, "These dogs had an association, they are buried in places near occupations, near where people are living and they are burying them. I would say that the way they tucked their heads and tails shows that they do have some sort of connection to the animal. There’s something more to it."
The ancient skeletons are kept in closed containers in warehouses at the site, away from the public eye, awaiting further research so maybe one day the mystery can be solved.
