Welcome to The Pack!

*** UPDATE***

16 January 2024

A new year and another year older, happy New Year everyone!

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So we start Phase III now, choosing our archaeological dog and horses bones from various archaeological sites, handwriting out all the National Museum of Ireland licences' forms and making those submissions. Then waiting to see which of the Irish bones we have permission to take bone samples. Before we take samples, we will photograph each, take all bone measurements and 3D scan them so we have these on records for our archive.

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We are delighted to announce Dr Claire Cave, Director of the UCD World Heritage Management Programme, will advise us on best heritage practice for our project. Claire's details will be added shortly to The Pack's page. More website updates to follow this month. Stay tuned!

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This grassroots research project was created from discussions on Twitter with many global specialists based on their love of dogs, wolves and horses, and great interest was shown by so many, including you!

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Come along on our long walk into the past, find out where these Viking-Age and Medieval periods' dogs, wolves and horses lead us. They have stories to tell, and we need to listen carefully, their bones will say so much to us!

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We formed a collaborative team of zooarchaeologists, zoologists, geneticists, geochemists, radiocarbon dating specialists and archaeologists, along with a visual artist in residence, and of course our Guardian, Nala, a Caucasian Shepherd dog to watch over us.

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This pioneering project will run from 2022 to 2028, studying bones from across several sites in Ireland and Britain. The Researcher Pack will investigate the origins, diet, sizes and gender of dogs and wolves, their roles, and the roles of horses in human societies in Viking-Age and Medieval times.

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Not much is known about dogs from Viking-Age and Medieval periods, apart from their body sizes: small, medium and large types. There were no dog breeds as we know them today.

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• Perhaps some were 'pet' wolves or dogs interbred with wolves?

• Were some dogs associated with status of their owner?

• Were there special working or functional relationships between horses and dogs?

• Did different dog types have different roles in Medieval societies?

• Did Vikings bring their own dogs with them from their far-reaching travels?

 

Follow our project adventures via the updates (aka Bite-sized Treats), and Twitter and Facebook posts (#VikingDublinDogs, #JoinThePack), as we journey back in time with these dogs, wolves and horses, and see what we can discover about them. 

 

Subscribe to our mailing list below, get special Pack updates, and never miss out on a Treat and updates!

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Join The Pack!

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