Dear Ylva
During identification of cremated bones fron Late Iron Age burials I have often found several dogs of varying size. I take all possible measurements according to von den Driesch definitions on elements that are complete enough. Shrinkage prevents direct comparison with extant breeds. Still such measurements are very useful in describing the variation in size of dogs. I have examples of small dogs that are small as the cats that are found in contemporary cremation graves. As you say there is a need for modern comparative studies on size of cremated bone elements of various dog types from small to big ones. I had planned to do such a study with a veterinarian friend who had access to dogs that were killed due to medical reasons and whos owners allowed us to use their dear pets for our investigation. The plan was to cremate one side and to macerate the other in order to have both natural and shriked (burned) measurements. The study was not realised, my friend unexpectedly died.
We have some modern dogs, from small to wolf-sized in the Gothenburg Natural History Museum. I made "profiles of the distribution of element sizes per individual to see the approximate correlation between size of elements in the same individual. That was a good help when trying to find out how many dog there was in some graves (sometimes there were up to four in one grave). It is obvious that dogs must have been bred for practical use as well as for status. Various pedigrees were maintained. I think that the smallest dogs can have been used as gifts in social networks.
My measurements from the Iron Age dogs are spread in the "grey" litterature and I can try to collect what I have.
Leif J
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