News Anthropology

Sacrificed dog remains feed tales of Bronze Age ‘wolf-men’ warriors

Find is first archaeological evidence of coming-of-age rites described in ancient myths, researchers claim

Russian dog skull

SLICE RITES  Nearly 4,000 years ago, at a site in what’s now Russia, teenage boys ate dogs or wolves to join war bands, a contested report says. Dogs’ heads were commonly chopped in pieces designated by lines on this skull.

D. Anthony and D. Brown/Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 2017

By Bruce Bower

- More than 2 years ago

Remains of at least two Late Bronze Age initiation ceremonies, in which teenage boys became warriors by eating dogs and wolves, have turned up in southwestern Russia, two archaeologists say.