Prehistoric Dog Pathology in the American Bottom: Evidence from the Janey B. Goode Site (11S1232), St. Clair County, Illinois

Archaeological investigations at the late prehistoric Janey B. Goode site (11S1232) in southwestern Illinois resulted in the recovery of over 5,400 domestic dog (Canis familiaris) remains, representing over 100 individual animals. The substantial size of this well- preserved faunal assemblage allows for a detailed study of Native American dogs during the Late Woodland Patrick phase (A.D. 650–900), Terminal Late Woodland (A.D. 900–1050), and Mississippian (A.D. 1050–1400) periods in the American Bottom. One aspect of this on-going, multifaceted research project is the documentation, analysis, and interpretation of prehistoric trauma and pathologies. This article presents a preliminary summary of the dog paleopathology evidence obtained thus far from the Janey B. Goode site.