Humans burdened cattle 6000 years ago

[Judi Lynn]

Staff Reporter | 24th January 2019

Humans made cattle pull loads 2,000 years earlier than previously thought.


Cattle were being used to pull loads as early as 6,000 BC, according to new research led by UCL. The study provides the earliest systematic evidence of animals being used as engines.

In the study, published in Antiquity, archaeologists discovered that the bones in the feet of Neolithic cattle demonstrated distinctive wear patterns, indicative of exploitation as ‘animal engines’.

If these practices can be proven elsewhere, it is expected to have major ramifications on our understanding of animal use in the Neolithic.

Gaining traction

Dr Jane Gaastra of UCL Archaeology), the lead author, said: “We have been able to provide the first conclusive evidence that farmers were using cattle for ‘traction’ almost 2,000 years earlier than the previous consensus date. There has only been one other foot sample from the Neolithic period found in Syria but this was inconclusive.

More:
https://theecologist.org/2019/jan/24/humans-burdened-cattle-6000-years-ago