Dogs, cats and horses in the Scottish medieval town

Abstract

Scottish medieval urban sites excavated over the last two decades have provided abundant evidence of the animals which were exploited by human populations. This paper is concerned with three domesticated species – the dog, cat and horse – and reviews the nature of their relationships with town dwellers. The majority of the excavations reviewed here were funded either wholly or in part by Historic Scotland, in conjunction with the Manpower Services Commission, and research for this paper was also funded by Historic Scotland.