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Animals have been domesticated on every continent with a food-producing economy. Discover the initial domestication locations through archaeology and genetics, such as in Vietnam for chickens and Eurasia for dogs. Learn about the distinctions between wild and domesticated animals and the survival of early domesticates like horses, chickens, and cattle. Explore the transition from horticulture to agriculture and the impact on early human societies.
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Locations for Initial Domestication Animals have been domesticated on every continent that has developed a food producing economy. Locations for initial domestication have been pinpointed by a combination of archaeology and genetics. Examples: Chicken: Vietnam; progenitor: red junglefowl
Goat: Zagros mnts. Iraq. 8900 BP. Progenitors: Nubian Ibex, Bezoar Ibex. • Horse: Kazakhstan; progenitor: Tarpan 5,500 BP
Distinguishing Wild from Domesticated Animals • All domesticated species except the wolf started out as wild animals hunted for food. • Physical evidence for the transition to domestication is slight; some examples: Horse: effect of use of the bit on horse’s teeth, more physical variability, lower leg bones are robust, vessels with milk fat residue Chicken: larger eggs.
Survival of Early Domesticates Dog: broader snout and braincase, barking behavior. Bones of domesticated animals may be less dense overall, and exhibit more pathologies • Surviving examples of early domesticated versions of animals have been found on some islands, e.g. Soay in Scotland, Sardinia in Italy, Crete, and in the remote west of Ireland in Co. Kerry.
Cattle were probably domesticated from the Aurochs c. 8700 BC along the middle Euphrates river in Syria. • The last Aurochs died in Poland in 1627. They were highly aggressive.
Sheep were domesticated from the mouflon c. 8,000 – 7500 BCE in Eastern Anatolia/ Western Iran.
The Mouflon develops a woolly undercoat only in winter. It drops out on its own accord, and cannot be spun into thread. • A mutation occurred c. 3500 BC, possibly in the Caucuses or Europe, where the wooly undercoat became longer. • It is assumed that sheep were being raised for wool when they became more numerous than goats, and when the faunal samples become skewed towards older individuals.
Pigs were domesticated from the Eurasian wild boar at 8500 BP, poss. in Turkey Boar sow with offspring at Cragganowen, Co. Clare Ireland
From horticulture to agriculture • Horticulture is less labor and land intensive than agriculture. The tools most frequently involved are the axe and the digging stick.
Agriculture often involves working heavier types of soils and putting more work into soil preparation. Accompanying this shift is the use of the hoe and the ard.
