Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of what may be the earliest known pet dog in Britain, dating from the late Iron Age to the early Roman period. The nearly intact skeleton of a small canine, roughly the size of a modern Pomeranian or Maltese, was found near the village of Partney in Lincolnshire during excavations conducted by Wessex Archaeology.

Radiocarbon dating indicates the dog lived between 40 BC and AD 60, a period spanning the Roman conquest of England in AD 43. The discovery represents one of the earliest securely dated examples of a dog kept purely as a companion animal in the UK, distinguishing it from previously found canines believed to have served primarily as working dogs.

Lorrain Higbee, a zooarchaeologist involved in analysing the bones, noted that the animal was a young puppy, around five to eight months old. She suggested that the dog’s small, slender bones would have made survival without human care unlikely and estimated that, had it lived to adulthood, it would have reached about eight inches in height. Higbee described the dog as a lapdog rather than a dwarf hound, which were more commonly associated with hunting in Britain during this era.

While the exact breed cannot be determined from the remains, analysis suggests the dog did not originate in Britain, pointing to potential introduction through Roman influences. The finding aligns with historical accounts that Romans favored small lapdogs as pets, a practice that may have influenced local dog breeds and the relationship between humans and dogs during the transition from Iron Age Britain to Roman rule.

The dog’s presence in a rural agricultural setting has led to debate about its ownership. Some experts propose it may have belonged to a wealthier individual connected to the Roman occupation, while others emphasize that it was found outside typical high-status contexts, indicating that lapdogs might have been kept by a broader segment of the population.

Independent experts have recognized the significance of the discovery, pending peer-reviewed publication. Dr. Anders Bergström of the University of East Anglia remarked that the dog’s small size suggests it served primarily as a companion rather than performing work-related roles. Fay Worley, a senior zooarchaeologist at Historic England, highlighted the find as a rare opportunity to understand early domestic relationships with dogs in Britain.

The remains were excavated between 2020 and 2021 on land designated for the Viking Link electricity interconnector, which will connect Britain and Denmark. The skeleton is now curated at the Lincolnshire Archives, where further study is expected to shed light on ancient human-animal interactions during a pivotal historical period.