Tortoise clue to pet history
THE discovery of tortoise remains at an archaeological site has given valuable clues into how the British love of pets developed over the years, an archaeologist said.
Dr Richard Thomas, from the University of Leicester, said the bone, belonging to a late 19th century tortoise, was found among skeletons of cats and dogs in Stafford Castle, Staffordshire.
Although the keeping of tortoises as pets had occasionally been recorded from the 17th century, he said the find was the first example of a possible pet tortoise to have been recovered archaeologically.