Tar Trap: No Evidence of Domestic Dog Burial with “La Brea Woman”

Abstract

We radiocarbon dated the domestic dog found associated with La Brea Woman at the Rancho La Brea tar pits (Los Angeles, CA) to determine the validity of this human–dog connection. The domestic dog yielded a radiocarbon age of 3125 ± 25 ¹⁴C yr BP (3250–3400 cal yr BP) and La Brea Woman had a re-dated age of 9080 ± 15 ¹⁴C yr BP (10,220–10,250 cal yr BP). This ∼7000-year offset dispels the hypothesis this was an intentional and ceremonial human–dog burial.

Keywords:

• Holocene
• Paleoamerican
• southern California
• stable isotopes
• radiocarbon dating

Acknowledgments

Hector Martinez and Shari Bush are thanked for assistance with collagen preparation. Bryn Letham is thanked for creating Figure 1. The AMS ¹⁴C dating of La Brea Woman was partly supported by the Gabrielle O. Vierra Memorial Fund (RET).