In the heart of Surrey, England, archaeologists uncovered a shaft that seemed to be more than a mere remnant of Roman occupation. Hidden beneath centuries of soil and stone lay one of the most extraordinary collections of human and animal remains ever found from the Romano-British period. The findings tell a story of life, death, and an intricate interplay of ritual and belief.

Among the bones of hundreds of animals, Ellen Green, a bioarchaeologist at the University of Reading, uncovered a puzzling artifact: the painted penis bone of a small dog.

“This is the only example I could find of an actual penis having potentially been used as a ritual object,” Green told Live Science.

The artifact was covered in red ochre, a vivid pigment historically laden with symbolic meaning.

A Cache of Bones and Mysteries

The find was made at Nescot, a site in Ewell, Surrey, where excavations in 2015 revealed a 13-foot-deep quarry shaft riddled with bones. Dating back to the late first and early second centuries AD, the shaft contained remains of roughly 300 domestic animals, primarily dogs, alongside horses, cattle, pigs, and sheep. These animals showed no signs of butchering or disease. Notably, most were small breeds like terriers or corgis, not the hunting or herding dogs typical of the era. Some disarticulated human skeletons were found in the shaft that was filled over a brief span of 50 years.

What captured archaeologists’ attention, however, was the abundance of newborn and perinatal animals. This was not accidental. The high percentage of perinatal animals in Quarry 1 makes natural death an unlikely explanation. Instead, the presence of fetal and neonatal remains, including 14 foals, suggests intentional breeding near the site — perhaps for ritual purposes.

In Roman Britain, animals like dogs and horses were deeply symbolic. Dogs were associated with healing, protection, and fertility, often linked to mother goddesses who represented abundance and regeneration. Horses were frequently tied to Epona, a deity of fertility and the afterlife.

Human remains from the Nescot shaft were equally intriguing. Twenty individuals were represented, including one prone-buried woman over 45 years old. Her partially articulated skeleton suggested post-mortem manipulation. However, humans remains included in all stages of life—from infants to older adults. Age and life transitions were central to Roman identity, and the careful selection of remains from varied age groups may have reinforced cycles of life and fertility.

An ochre penis bone

Among the treasure trove of remains, the most perplexing was the painted dog baculum (penis bone). Green’s analysis revealed that the red ochre pigment on the baculum was not naturally occurring in the area. Using X-ray fluorescence, she determined the iron oxide was deliberately applied before the bone was deposited. In other words, the penis bone was painted by hand by someone.

The artifact’s phallic symbolism likely tied it to fertility rites, which may tie into the broader cultural and ritual practice surrounding this mysterious shaft.

In the Roman world, the penis was a powerful motif. It wasn’t necessarily sexual and was often used as a charm to ward off evil. In this context, the Nescot find likely invokes abundance and growth.

Chimpanzees and bonobos, our closest living relatives, both have penis bones. The baculum first evolved between 145 million and 95 million years ago, according to a 2016 study. It supports the penis during mating and varies widely in size and shape across species Among primates, the baculum is present in species that engage in prolonged or frequent mating sessions, where it offers mechanical support. Our lineage lost its baculum when human ancestors shifted toward monogamous or pair-bonding systems. This reduced direct male-to-male competition for mates, lowering the selective pressure to maintain a baculum for prolonged mating.

While the exact purpose of the painted baculum remains a mystery, the artifact offers a glimpse into the spiritual lives of Roman Britons. “The evidence supports a link to ideas of abundance, new life and the agricultural cycle,” Green concluded.

The study appeared in the Oxford Journal of Archaeology.