Archaeologists have discovered 1,100-year-old mummified puppies and learnt how people looked after them

Researchers believe this may be rare evidence of how ordinary people in the ancient Tiwanaku culture cared for dogs not only during their lives, but also after their deaths.

The discovery concerns two naturally mummified dogs from the Mokeagua Valley: a young female less than a year old and a puppy no more than three months old. They belong to the Tiwanaku culture — an ancient Andean civilisation that existed from around 600 to 1000 CE in what is now Bolivia, Peru and Chile.

The study has been published in the journal *Latin American Antiquity*.

What the archaeologists found

Both mummies come from the Rio Muerto and Omo sites in the Mochegua Valley in southern Peru. These are particularly rare finds: dog remains are seldom encountered at Tiwanaku sites, and it is sometimes difficult to distinguish them from fox bones. In these two cases, fragments of fur had been preserved, which helped the researchers confirm that they were indeed dogs.

The dog from Río Muerto was a brown-and-white young female under one year old. The puppy from Omo was even younger — no more than three months old. Both animals were naturally mummified thanks to the region’s dry climate.

One detail is particularly significant: the young dog from Río Muerto was buried in a small pit, laid on a woven mat. According to the researchers’ description, she was positioned very carefully, possibly wrapped in rope or cord. This does not look like the remains of an animal that had been carelessly discarded.

How the scientists realised the dogs had been cared for

Archaeologists studied not only the burial site but also the animals’ ‘life stories’. To do this, they carried out isotopic analysis of the bones, teeth and fur. Such data helps to understand where the animal grew up and what it ate.

Strontium analysis showed that both dogs were local: they were not brought from afar, but lived out their short lives in this region. This distinguishes them, for example, from pack llamas, which could have moved between different areas.

The diet of the dog from Río Muerto turned out to be very similar to that of the people living nearby. It ate a mixture of plant-based and meat-based food — likely leftovers or food that had been specifically given to it. The researchers are cautious: it is impossible to say for certain whether she was fed directly, but it is clear that the dog shared the same space as the people and had access to their food.

Why these are not simply ‘animal mummies’

In the ancient Andes, dogs could fulfil various roles. They could be helpers, companions, or participants in rituals and sacrifices. In later Andean cultures, dogs were often buried in elite tombs — as protectors or guides for the deceased in the afterlife.

But in the case of Tiwanaku, the picture appears more personal. These dogs were buried near domestic spaces, rather than solely in the context of elite status or official cult practices. The authors of the study therefore suggest that this represents an important intermediate stage: dogs were already significant companions to humans even before they became symbols of status in some Andean societies.

The article states that the inhabitants of Tiwanaku may have valued dogs both as ritual animals guarding sacred sites and as domestic companions worthy of a caring burial near the home.

The study’s lead author, Susan deFrance, notes that such burials may indicate an emotional aspect to the relationship with animals, although this cannot be known with complete certainty.

This is precisely why it is more accurate to write not ‘scientists have proven that people loved dogs’, but rather: archaeologists have found evidence that the inhabitants of Tiwanaku regarded dogs as significant domestic companions and took care to bury them.

Why the discovery is important

These two mummies reveal an aspect of ancient life that archaeology rarely preserves: the everyday bond between humans and animals. Usually, we learn about ancient societies through temples, weapons, pottery, elite burials and large monuments. Here, however, we are talking about small dogs buried near homes.

This makes the discovery particularly valuable. It shows that the bond between humans and dogs in the ancient Andes may not have been purely utilitarian. Dogs may have provided people with companionship, joy, protection and a sense of closeness — something that many dog owners will readily recognise even today.

Background

Tiwanaku was one of the major ancient societies of the Andes. Its influence extended across the territories of modern-day Bolivia, Peru and Chile. In the Moquegua Valley in southern Peru, there were settlements and ceremonial centres associated with this culture.

In Andean societies, dogs could serve as herders, companions, guardians and ritual animals. However, there was very little information about dogs specifically within the Tiwanaku culture; therefore, the two mummified specimens from Río Muerto and Omo provide a rare opportunity to gain an almost ‘insider’s’ view of their lives — through their diet, origins and burial.

Source

Study: Susan D. deFrance et al., “Dogs in Tiwanaku Society: Life Histories of Companion Animals from the Moquegua Valley, Peru”, Latin American Antiquity, 2026.