Dogs have often been referred to as “man’s best friend,” but in the case of the wild dingo in Australia, it has endured a somewhat less favorable reputation. However, new research suggests that dingoes enjoyed a different status before European colonization – they were buried and even domesticated by Australia’s First Nations people.
The study published in PLoS ONE , conducted by experts from The Australian National University and The University of Western Australia , focused on the Curracurrang archaeological site, located south of Sydney. Radiocarbon dating of dingo remains at this site unveiled a remarkable finding: dingoes were laid to rest alongside humans as far back as 2,000 years ago. This careful act of burying the animals hints at a much closer relationship between humans and dingoes than previously understood, according to Dr. Loukas Koungoulos, the lead researcher.
Dr. Koungoulos stated:
“While not all camp dingoes received burial rites, in areas where such burials were recorded, the process and methods of disposal closely paralleled those associated with human rituals in the same region. This reflects the intimate connection between people and dingoes, elevating them to an ‘almost-human’ status.”
Dingo burial as subject of the study, recorded in a rock shelter crevice at Adcock Gorge, central Kimberley, Australia. (K. Akerman/ PLoS ONE )
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