Der Hund in der mitteleuropäischen Eisenzeit

Deliberate killing of dogs is mainly attested at ritual sites. Dog bones in graves are particularly frequent in the Hallstatt Period. The secondary use of dogs as working animals for herding, guarding, and hunting is attested by picture sources. As analogies Antique and Early Medieval written sources also attest the importance of dogs as guardians, attribute of chthonic gods, sacrificial animals, hunting companions, and as a symbol of fertility.