Mexico's mummified PET dog could unlock secrets of ancient tribes: 1,000-year-old canine believed to be domesticated and used in hunting expeditions

• First ever mummified dog to be found in Mexico
• Raises possibility that animal was domesticated and used to stalk prey
• Age and breed yet to be determined by archaeologists

By Sam Webb

PUBLISHED: 16:25 EST, 18 November 2012 | UPDATED: 17:30 EST, 18 November 2012

The discovery of a mummified dog in Mexico could unlock secrets about the country's mysterious ancient tribal groups' hunting traditions.

Anthropologist Isaac Aquino exhibited the estimated 1000-year-old canine remains at regional museum in the city of Torreon.

It was found in Candelaria Cave in Coahuila, a semi-arid region of northern Mexico.

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Companion: The 1000-year-old mummified dog is the first one to be found in Mexico and could help archaeologists unravel the secrets of the country's ancient tribes

Predator: History experts are excited as it raises the possibility that the animal was domesticated and used to hunt

The discovery is a first of its kind for Mexico, with mummified canines only previously found in Peru and Egypt.

Experts believe that the dog was domesticated by a local tribe and used in hunting expeditions.

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Archaeologist Alejandro Bautista Valdespino said: 'It reinforces the idea that dogs were placed as companions in the funerary traditions of the region?s nomads, it also presents the possibility that these animals were domesticated.'

Ancient: The mysterious dog will undergo a series of tests to discover its age and breed

The animal, believed to have been mummified naturally, was found alongside hundreds of human remains, as well as thousands of ancient artifacts including textiles, baskets, and bows and arrows.

Archaeologist Yuri De La Rosa said: 'This is the first mummified canine that has an archaeological context.

'In this case it?s a natural mummification because of the desert and dry conditions. The skin dried to the bones and it was mummified naturally.'

The ancient hound will soon be measured, X-rayed and carbon tested to determine its exact age and breed.?

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