Archaeologists have uncovered hundreds of bones in a deep shaft in a suburb of London, dating back to the Roman period, specifically between the late first century and early second century CE. Among these bones, a distinctive find has emerged: a painted dog penis bone, which has drawn considerable attention.
Ellen Green, a bioarchaeologist at the University of Reading, noted, "This is the only example I have found of a genuine penis potentially being used as a ritual object." The painted bone, featuring a red hue on one side, was analyzed using a method called X-ray fluorescence, revealing that the color comes from red ochre, intentionally applied to the bone.
The shaft also contained remains of over 280 domestic animals, including pigs, cows, horses, and sheep, alongside human bones. Green highlighted that approximately 70 percent of the animal bones belonged to small dogs, likely terriers or similar breeds, with no signs of slaughter, burning, or disease.
This painted penis bone is the first of its kind discovered, despite other Roman-era pits filled with human and animal remains found across Britain. Green explained that in Roman culture, penises had various associations and were often used as lucky charms. However, the specific use of red ochre on bones remains a mystery, as there are no known parallels from the Roman period or examples from the British Iron Age.
The findings have been published in the Oxford Journal of Archaeology.