Dog domestication and its success in prehistory and the role of dogs in the history of humankind  are complex themes, which are currently being studied and discussed by scholars of various disciplines.  In the last few years, data and hypotheses have progressively increased, sometimes controversially, in various fields of investigation. However, a lack of exchange between scholars of different backgrounds has hampered a real advance in the study of the connections between humans and dogs in history until the present day.

Long time has passed since the previous conference on Ethnoarchaeology organized by the Italian Society for Ethnoarchaeology in Rome (2015), and during this period, the world has undergone profound transformations. New challenges have arisen, demanding our attention, while other pressing issues have emerged on the global stage.

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The relationships between humans and animals have always been crucial for human life. In the past they were mainly determined by practical aspects (sources of animal protein, sources of danger and protection from it, etc.) as well as for rituals, however, the range of such relationships has considerably expanded today. Animals can be the subject of protection of their rights and, they can even inherit the welfare of their owner. We suggest that in the past as well as in the present these relationships have been complex and even paradoxical, and we would like to discuss the following range of issues within the framework of this conference.