Koster Dog

O lay her tenderly, with care, and please
be gentle with her fragile bones, be kind.
For seven thousand years she lay in there,
a rounded stone to mark the place her head would rest.
She served her people well – and more,
they loved her as their child. These people knew
the value of their dog, and buried her
with formal rites and due solemnity.
This Koster family lost their hunter and
their friend when they lost her, shown by the way
her body was arranged. Take care! This is
the grave of one who earned respect,
respect her still.

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"Koster boasts no monumental ruins, nor are there temples. Its ancient treasures are far more satisfying and enduring. It shows us that the most exciting clues to understanding ourselves come not from spectacular finds, but from charred seeds, crumbling potsherds and broken animal bones – the inconspicuous clues to how people lived in the past." New Treasures of the Past