A prehistoric pet. This is a mesolithic dog, same dog we know today more or less, Canis lupus familiaris, but about 9,300 years old.
It was found in an archaeological dig in Almeö, Sweden, in 1983. From the Wikimedia Commons page where I found it, “Since 1994 the skeleton is shown in the prehistoric exhibition at Falbygdens museum in Falköping.” The photographer, Gunnar Creutz, is an archaeologist who designs exhibits for the museum. He’s also got some cool photos of bugs and mushrooms in the woods.
I wonder what this dog was like, 9,300 years ago. A good fetcher? Sheep herder? Just hanging around the edges of camp? Of course it was a good dog… right?