The ancient Mayans were already trading (and eating) "pedigree dogs".

A study reveals that Mayan dogs traveled long distances, received a rich diet and often ended up sacrificed or eaten.

Mayan trade routes carried jade, obsidian, ceramics and live animals. According to a study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, certain communities in the Chiapas highlands of southern Mexico received small dogs from the Maya plains hundreds of kilometers away, after journeys of between 560 and 640 kilometers. Within this economy circulated creatures that had to be fed, protected and kept alive during the journey, with a level of organization that strongly resembled a veritable supply chain.

The study analyzed the teeth and bones of dogs and large herbivores unearthed at two sites in the Chiapas highlands, Moxviquil and Tenam Puente, dated between 400 and 800 AD. The researchers relied mainly on the chemical traces that remain in the tissues and enable them to understand where an animal grew up. To make the comparison more accurate, they also mapped local isotopes from 45 plant samples collected in central Chiapas. The authors themselves explain that a system of this kind requires organization, care and a very solid network of exchanges.

These little dogs fed on corn and meat were very valuable

The team also analyzed the stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen, which make it possible to reconstruct the diet. Another striking finding was that these dogs consumed large quantities of corn and meat - a rich diet very similar to that of humans. According to the researchers, this is the sign of a carefully monitored, intentional diet. In some cases, they could even be selected breeds, perhaps related to the ancestors of the Xoloitzcuintli, the Mexican naked dog, a hypothesis that will have to be verified by DNA analysis.

In Mayan art, small dogs often appear under the sovereign's hammock. This suggests a role of social status, as a gift to seal an alliance or as a prestigious possession. This is where the picture becomes more complicated, as the same animal that accompanied the elite may also have had a completely different destiny. Archaeologist Ashley Sharpe, who has been studying these remains for years, describes many specimens as very small dogs, barely larger than a Chihuahua. Sharpe, who has been studying these remains for years, describes many of the specimens as very small dogs, barely larger than a Chihuahua, reminiscent in part of the pot-bellied dogs depicted on the famous Colima figurines.

According to Sharpe, many of these dogs were bred primarily for human consumption. She notes that almost all the specimens she examined were between one and two years old, and that many of the bones showed traces of cutting typical of meat preparation. In other words, the care they received during their lives in no way ruled out their use as farm animals. On the contrary, it makes it even more likely.

Ritual sites also feature neck cuts and special burials

In addition to this food use, the ritual trail remains open. At Kaminaljuyu, a major city in the Guatemalan highlands, some dogs were discovered in a pit associated with high water stress, near a drying lake. Many of the skeletons show neck gashes and a peculiar disposition, accompanied by ceramic fragments - features that many archaeologists interpret as signs of sacrifices intended to claim water from the gods.

The final image of Mayan dogs is therefore full of contrasts. They were animals transported live over long distances, fed on rich food, sometimes associated with power and prestige, sometimes used in rituals, sometimes bred to be eaten. This new study helps to put the pieces of the puzzle together without watering them down.

Source: Journal of Archaeological Science