Researchers say ancient Thracians consumed dog meat about 2,500 years ago, not out of hunger, but as part of organized communal feasts that carried social and ritual meaning. Thracian customs differed sharply from modern viewsIn modern Europe, eating dog meat would provoke strong public opposition. The trading hub shows the strongest signs of consumptionThe largest concentration of dog remains came from Emporion Pistiros, one of Thrace’s major trading centers. New research shows ancient Thracians consumed dog meat 2,500 years ago as part of ritual feasts. “Dog meat was not a necessity eaten out of poverty, as these sites are rich in livestock,” Nikolova said in comments to LiveScience.