Around 1,100 years ago, people living in ancient Peru carefully buried a young dog in a small burial. They placed the animal on a woven mat as though it were sleeping. Researchers believe the dog may have been wrapped in twine before burial.
Today, the naturally mummified remains are one of only two intentionally buried dogs ever identified from the ancient Tiwanaku civilization. The discoveries provide rare evidence of how ordinary people may have cared for their dogs in life and honored them after death. The findings were published in the journal Latin American Antiquity.
The two dogs include a brown-and-white female that was just under 1 year old and a puppy no older than 3 months. Lead author Susan deFrance, an archaeologist at the University of Florida, said the careful burials suggest companion animals were part of daily life in Tiwanaku communities.
While researchers cannot know exactly how people felt, the graves may reflect an emotional bond between humans and their dogs.
Ancient dogs leave clues in their remains
The Tiwanaku civilization flourished between A.D. 600 and 1000 across parts of present-day Bolivia, Peru and Chile. Dogs served many roles in ancient Andean societies.
They helped herd animals, lived alongside people and were sometimes used in religious ceremonies. However, archaeologists have long known little about their place in Tiwanaku culture because dog remains are rare.
Archaeologists have uncovered rare mummified dog burials from the Tiwanaku civilization in southern Peru, dating back about 1,100 years. The carefully prepared graves suggest these dogs were more than working animals or ritual offerings. pic.twitter.com/Ux3F2ptGO8
— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) June 29, 2026
The two mummified dogs came from Rio Muerto, a village, and Omo, a ceremonial center in Peru’s Moquegua Valley. Preserved patches of fur confirmed the animals were dogs rather than foxes, whose bones can appear similar.
Researchers analyzed chemical markers known as isotopes in the dogs’ bones, teeth and hair. These markers reveal details about diet, movement and where an animal lived. The results showed both dogs spent their entire lives in the local area, unlike llamas that were often brought in from elsewhere.
Diet points to close contact with people
The Rio Muerto dog ate a diet very similar to that of nearby residents, including both plants and meat. According to deFrance, the findings do not suggest the animal survived by searching through garbage. Instead, they indicate the dog lived alongside people and likely ate food shared within the community.
The younger puppy from Omo consumed more meat than the older dog. Researchers said this may indicate it obtained food farther from residential areas.
Burial practices suggest valued companions
Researchers said the strongest evidence came from the burials themselves. In later Andean societies, dogs were often buried with elite individuals and were believed to guide or protect them in the afterlife. The Tiwanaku burials tell a different story.
Both dogs were laid to rest near ordinary homes in carefully prepared graves rather than elite tombs. Although the animals may have served ritual purposes, the study suggests at least some Tiwanaku families also viewed them as valued companions.
The discoveries offer rare evidence that everyday people cared for their dogs and honored them after death more than a thousand years ago.
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