A bioarchaeologist with the University of Reading has discovered one of the most unusual human and animal remains from the Romano-British period in a Roman quarry shaft located in Surrey, England. At the Nescot site in Ewell, Ellen Green discovered a collection of human and animal remains. Among these was a unique item—a dog penis bone, or baculum, with paint on it. Her study, which appeared in the Oxford Journal of Archaeology, offers fresh perspectives on fertility rites and beliefs about abundance and regeneration.

Dog baculum (penis bone) stained with red ochre on the dorsal surface of the bone. Credit: Ellen Green, Oxford Journal of Archaeology (2024)

The 13-foot-deep shaft, which was excavated in 2015, contained a remarkable collection of 21 human skeletons and more than 11,000 animal bone pieces representing at least 282 animals. Dogs made up about 70% of the animal remains, consisting of small breeds like terriers and lapdogs instead of hunting or herding dogs. Many of the animals were puppies, piglets, and foals. This high number of young animals points to deliberate breeding and symbolic deposition linked to fertility.

The key find from the site is a canine baculum painted with red ochre, a mineral pigment not native to the region. Green confirmed that the pigment was deliberately applied to the bone, showing its importance in rituals. “While the idea of ritual shafts being ᴀssociated with fertility is not new, this study is one of the first to use multiple types of evidence to back up this idea,” Green noted in her work.

The phallic symbolism of the painted penis bone connects it to how Roman Britain saw dogs as symbols of fertility, protection, and healing. Green said, “A penis bone has obvious connotations, particularly given the already strong ᴀssociation between dogs and fertility within Roman Britain.”

The shaft was used for approximately 50 years during the first and second centuries CE. Depositions occurred in distinct phases, with people adding, taking away, and rearranging bones and other materials over time. Just one human skeleton stayed intact—that of a woman over 45 years old. The other skeletons were disarticulated, with some bones missing and later returned, suggesting deliberate manipulation.

According to Green, ritual shafts in Roman Britain in Surrey and Kent were often ᴀssociated with the underworld and ideas of regeneration. The young animals and painted baculum inside strengthen the idea that this shaft symbolized fertility and the agricultural cycle.

The discovery of this painted baculum, the first known instance of red ochre on bone in Romano-British archaeology, provides a rare look into the symbolic and ritual lives of ancient societies. “In this case a feature full of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ becomes a potential symbol of new life and regeneration, adding to the ever-growing tapestry of Romano-British belief,” Green wrote.

More information: Green, E. (2024). Life from death: Multi‐species fertility rituals within a Romano‐British ritual shaft in southern England. Oxford Journal of Archaeology. doi:10.1111/ojoa.12317