PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Some Pre-Roman humans were buried with dogs, horses and other animals

Co-burials are still a mystery, but might indicate animal companionship or religious customs

Some Pre-Roman humans were buried with dogs, horses and other animals
2024-02-14
(Press-News.org) Some people from an ancient community in what is now northern Italy were interred with animals and animal parts from species such as dogs, horses and pigs. The reasons remain mysterious, but might indicate an enduring companion relationship between these humans and animals, or religious sacrificial practices, according to a study published February 14, 2023 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Zita Laffranchi from the University of Bern, Stefania Zingale from the Institute for Mummy Studies, Eurac Research Bozen, Umberto Tecchiati from the University of Milan, and colleagues.

Of the 161 people buried at Seminario Vescovile, an archaeological site in Verona from 3rd to 1st century BCE, 16 were buried with some kind of animal remains. Some of the graves contained the remains of animals often eaten by people — including many pigs, a chicken and part of a cow — which may have represented food offerings to the dead. But four of the people buried on the site were buried alongside the remains of dogs and/or horses, which are not commonly eaten.

To look for patterns that might explain these animal burials, the researchers analyzed the demographics, diets, genetics and burial conditions of the interred humans and animals, but this did not lead to any notable correlations. In particular, the people interred with animals do not seem to be closely related to each other, which would have suggested that this was a practice of a certain family. The people buried with dogs or horses also varied — they include a baby buried with a complete dog skeleton, a young man buried with parts of a horse, a middle-aged man buried with a small dog and a middle-aged woman buried with an entire horse, multiple other horse parts and a dog skull.

The lack of patterns among these graves mean that multiple interpretations of these human-animal co-burials remain possible, the authors say. For example, animals like dogs and horses often had religious symbolism in ancient cultures — but at the same time, specific individuals may also have been buried with their animal companions. In addition, the authors note, these human-animal burial practices might have been determined by the interplay between different individual traits and societal customs.

The authors add: “This study, which is part of the CELTUDALPS research project (co-financed by the Swiss National Science Foundation and the Province of South Tyrol, and coordinated by Marco Milella of the University of Bern and Albert Zink of the Institute for Mummy Studies, Eurac Research), explores burials of horses and dogs with humans, and may hint at unknown rituals and beliefs during the late centuries BCE in Italy.”

#####

In your coverage please use this URL to provide access to the freely available article in PLOS ONE: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0293434

Citation: Laffranchi Z, Zingale S, Tecchiati U, Amato A, Coia V, Paladin A, et al. (2023) "Until death do us part". A multidisciplinary study on human- animal co- burials from the Late Iron Age necropolis of Seminario Vescovile in Verona (Northern Italy, 3rd-1st c. BCE). PLoS ONE 19(2): e0296941. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0293434

Author Countries: Switzerland, Italy

Funding: Swiss National Science Foundation grant (nr: 10531FL_197103/1) to MM and AZ. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

END

[Attachments] See images for this press release:
Some Pre-Roman humans were buried with dogs, horses and other animals Some Pre-Roman humans were buried with dogs, horses and other animals 2 Some Pre-Roman humans were buried with dogs, horses and other animals 3

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Reported marital harmony—or conflict—accounts for nearly ten percent of the variation in mental health self-assessments in a broad study of Australian adults

Reported marital harmony—or conflict—accounts for nearly ten percent of the variation in mental health self-assessments in a broad study of Australian adults
2024-02-14
Australian adults who report a good relationship that meets their original expectations tend to score higher in mental health, while adults who report loving their spouse but wished they had never entered the relationship and note relationship problems tend to score significantly lower in mental health, according to a survey of almost 7000 Australian adults published February 14, 2024 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Bernard Kwadwo Yeboah Asiamah-Asare and colleagues. Many recent studies have examined the possible social determinants of mental health. In this study, Yeboah Asiamah-Asare and colleagues looked specifically at how one’s ...

Just a few sites of exceptional fossil preservation may significantly distort the phylogenetic record for birds, scaly reptiles and dinosaurs

Just a few sites of exceptional fossil preservation may significantly distort the phylogenetic record for birds, scaly reptiles and dinosaurs
2024-02-14
Just a few sites of exceptional fossil preservation may significantly distort the phylogenetic record for birds, scaly reptiles and dinosaurs ### Article URL:  https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0297637 Article Title: Quantifying the effects of exceptional fossil preservation on the global availability of phylogenetic data in deep time Author Countries: USA Funding: CHW: Richard Estes Memorial Award (No grant number); Society of Vertebrate Paleontology; www.vertpaleo.org; NO - CHW: Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Grant (No grant number); American Museum of Natural History; www.amnh.org; NO - CHW: EAR-PF 2305564; ...

Emojis are differently interpreted depending on gender, culture, and age of viewer

Emojis are differently interpreted depending on gender, culture, and age of viewer
2024-02-14
Gender, culture, and age all appear to play a role in how emojis are interpreted, according to a study published February 14, 2024 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Yihua Chen, Xingchen Yang and colleagues from the University of Nottingham, UK. Stylized images of faces expressing different emotions, emojis can add both emotional nuance as well as potential ambiguity to electronic messages.   To understand how gender, age, and culture may influence emoji interpretation, Chen, Yang and colleagues recruited a group of 253 Chinese and 270 UK adults (51 percent women and 49 percent ...

Global health photographers navigate murky ethical waters for clients

2024-02-14
Global health photography is often caught between photojournalistic intentions of accurately reflect local communities, and marketing directives to create attention-grabbing imagery, according to a study published February 14, 2024 in the open-access journal PLOS Global Public Health by Arsenii Alenichev from Oxford Population Health, the University of Oxford, United Kingdom, and colleagues. Standing at such representational crossroads, photographers are forced to engage with numerous—and often unresolvable — ethical and practical dilemmas. Photographers ...

New immunotherapy for multiple myeloma proves in the lab to be more effective than CAR-T treatment already in use

New immunotherapy for multiple myeloma proves in the lab to be more effective than CAR-T treatment already in use
2024-02-14
Researchers at the Spanish National Cancer Research Center (CNIO) and the 12 de Octubre University Hospital have developed a new cell-based immunotherapy to treat multiple myeloma   The new immunotherapy is based on STAb cells and has yet to pass clinical trials.   The study is published in Science Translational Medicine, with head of the H12O-CNIO Cancer Immunotherapy Clinical Research Unit Luis Álvarez-Vallina as senior author.   Immunotherapy is already improving treatment options for many cancer types, but research groups keep exploring ...

Liver cancer: a promising avenue for more effective immunotherapies

Liver cancer: a promising avenue for more effective immunotherapies
2024-02-14
Laval, February 14, 2024 – A research team of Canadian and French scientists, led by INRS professor Maya Saleh, has been investigating immunotherapy resistance in certain patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) associated with steatotic liver disease. The findings are published in the journal Cell Reports. Hepatocellular carcinoma is associated with known risk factors such as chronic hepatitis B or C infection, alcohol abuse, and metabolic dysfunction. It is the most common type of liver cancer. ...

The program of the 17th World Congress on Polyphenols Applications 2024 is now released: Advancing polyphenols research

The program of the 17th World Congress on Polyphenols Applications 2024 is now released: Advancing polyphenols research
2024-02-14
The 17th World Congress on Polyphenols Applications 2024, scheduled for September 19-20, 2024, at Università degli Studi di Milano Statale in Italy, has revealed its program. This congress aims to bridge the latest scientific research on polyphenols with their potential to promote health. Goals The Polyphenols Applications 2024 Congress aims to share novel insights into polyphenols and their impact on human health, with the goal of finding practical ways to enhance well-being. Highlighted Program Polyphenols in Health & Diseases: Understanding the effects of polyphenols on health. Polyphenols, Microbiota & ...

Join the World Mitochondria Society in Berlin for their 15th Annual Meeting: Emerging Trends & Strategies

Join the World Mitochondria Society in Berlin for their 15th Annual Meeting: Emerging Trends & Strategies
2024-02-14
The 15th World Congress on Targeting Mitochondria is set to take place in Berlin from October 28-30, 2024, promising a platform for front-line discussions and major insights into mitochondrial research. Prof. Volkmar Weissig, president of the World Mitochondria Society stated: "In this 15th edition, we'll explore the fundamental and mechanistic research of mitochondria. But what really sets this year apart is our special focus on how mitochondria can be applied in real-world medical settings. We'll be ...

Novel drug combination shows promise for advanced her2-negative breast cancer

Novel drug combination shows promise for advanced her2-negative breast cancer
2024-02-14
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE A novel three-drug combination achieved notable responses in patients with advanced HER2-negative breast cancer, according to new research directed by investigators from the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center. The treatment included a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor — a drug that causes a chemical change to stop tumor cells from dividing — with two types of immunotherapy known as checkpoint inhibitors, which unharness the power of the immune response against cancer.  The multicenter ...

Key genes linked to DNA damage and human disease uncovered

2024-02-14
More than one hundred key genes linked to DNA damage have been uncovered through systematic screening of nearly 1,000 genetically modified mouse lines, in a new study published today (14 February) in Nature. The work provides insights into cancer progression and neurodegenerative diseases as well as a potential therapeutic avenue in the form of a protein inhibitor. The genome contains all the genes and genetic material within an organism's cells. When the genome is stable, cells can accurately replicate and divide, passing on correct genetic ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

‘Molecular shield’ placed in the nose may soon treat common hay fever trigger

Beetles under climate stress lay larger male eggs: Wolbachia infection drives adaptive reproduction strategy in response to rising temperature and CO₂

Groundbreaking quantum study puts wave-particle duality to work

Weekly injection could be life changing for Parkinson’s patients

Toxic metals linked to impaired growth in infants in Guatemala

Being consistently physically active in adulthood linked to 30–40% lower risk of death

Nerve pain drug gabapentin linked to increased dementia, cognitive impairment risks

Children’s social care involvement common to nearly third of UK mums who died during perinatal period

‘Support, not judgement’: Study explores links between children’s social care involvement and maternal deaths

Ethnic minority and poorer children more likely to die in intensive care

Major progress in fertility preservation after treatment for cancer of the lymphatic system

Fewer complications after additional ultrasound in pregnant women who feel less fetal movement

Environmental impact of common pesticides seriously underestimated

The Milky Way could be teeming with more satellite galaxies than previously thought

New study reveals surprising reproductive secrets of a cricket-hunting parasitoid fly

Media Tip Sheet: Symposia at ESA2025

NSF CAREER Award will power UVA engineer’s research to improve drug purification

Tiny parasitoid flies show how early-life competition shapes adult success

New coating for glass promises energy-saving windows

Green spaces boost children’s cognitive skills and strengthen family well-being

Ancient trees dying faster than expected in Eastern Oregon

Study findings help hone precision of proven CVD risk tool

Most patients with advanced melanoma who received pre-surgical immunotherapy remain alive and disease free four years later

Introducing BioEmu: A generative AI Model that enables high-speed and accurate prediction of protein structural ensembles

Replacing mutated microglia with healthy microglia halts progression of genetic neurological disease in mice and humans

New research shows how tropical plants manage rival insect tenants by giving them separate ‘flats’

Condo-style living helps keep the peace inside these ant plants

Climate change action could dramatically limit rising UK heatwave deaths

Annual heat-related deaths projected to increase significantly due to climate and population change

Researchers discover new way cells protect themselves from damage

[Press-News.org] Some Pre-Roman humans were buried with dogs, horses and other animals
Co-burials are still a mystery, but might indicate animal companionship or religious customs