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At last count, we Americans currently live in our homes with 78 million dogs, 85 million cats, 12 million small mammals and 9 million reptiles. The staggering numbers made us wonder: Did the Neolithic people care about prehistoric pets?
Companion pets versus pets
When discussing the history of human-animal relationships and prehistoric domestic animals, we need to define several definitions because not all domesticated animals are or were pets.
In simple terms, domesticated animals are trained animals, but not all trained animals are companions. Immediately I remember cattle, camels. On the other hand, pets are pets that are kept in a company. In other words: not all pets are pets, but most pets are pets. There are exceptions. But in such cases, the so-called pet is often illegal. Namely, keeping monkeys as pets is prohibited in most states.
Anthropologists and archaeologists believe that the first domesticated wolves – or dogs – were working animals grazing sheep, goats and cattle. They did not live inside with humans and were probably more like slaves than friends.
However, the date when early dogs went from working-class to “man’s best friend” is still a matter of controversy. As Greger Larson, director of the Bioarcheology Research Network at Oxford University, explained, asking when the first pets landed at the scene is “a bit like asking when life began.” Larson’s team believes that early humans kept baby animals. However, researchers also believe that people release them or eat them when they reach maturity.
What Science So far Reveals About Prehistoric Pets
While researchers cannot pinpoint the exact era when pets became pets, they have uncovered a wealth of interesting facts about the possibility of prehistoric pets.
Belgian scientist Mitier Germontpre has studied the remains of a human and dog grave buried together 32,000 years ago. And Germontpre’s team isn’t the only one to find evidence of prehistoric pets. Other excavations in Europe have uncovered a group of circular graves where the remains of dogs were carefully laid out in the graves of men, women and children, indicating a possible special connection between humans and animals. However, researchers still cannot determine if dogs were sacrificed to accompany people to death.
First prehistoric pets
According to Greger Larson, there is evidence that cats and dogs were buried next to people who are 12,000 years old. Some dogs of that period had their own graves, which contained valuable items. But it is not clear why. Was the burial of dogs and cats a religious gesture? Were they pets that died of natural causes? Have they been sacrificed?
About 8,000 years ago, people became more sedentary and built houses, sheds and granaries. The new agricultural norm brought rodents and other small mammals with it. It was then that cats pounced on the scene and were greeted for their impressive rat-catcher abilities. According to Silvia Albisuri of the University of Barcelona, ”these animals were fully integrated into Neolithic communities.”
Additional research suggests that the bones of prehistoric domestic animals are indicative of long-term illness. The evidence is compelling because it shows that humans cared enough for some animals to feed them, which suggests a special bond.
By the time the Romans were victorious in Europe and Africa, pet ownership among the upper classes was fairly common. The rat infestation occurred in this region, and people quickly discovered that a small dog or cat made life much more bearable.
10 fun historical facts about pets
- Before animals were domesticated, they were important religious symbols, totems and icons. At that time, some cultures believed that human souls must pass through dogs to reach the next life, and dead human bodies were fed to dogs rather than buried.
- Dogs were an important part of ancient Greek religion. Dogs served as healing therapists in temples and were respected for their ability to cure disease.
- The Egyptians loved companion animals, and their works often celebrated the special relationship between humans, dogs, and cats.
- Chinese emperors kept companion dogs, and they were spoiled dogs! Some sources mention that the nurses breastfed the pampered royal puppies!
- As far as we can tell from the fossil record, wolves evolved into dogs between 12,000 and 14,000 years ago.
- In a Paleolithic tomb discovered in northern Israel, the arm of a corpse was resting on the shoulder of the animal with which it was buried. Positioning involves a close relationship between humans and animals.
- In the old days, pets were a sign of wealth and status. Only aristocrats could keep them.
- Egyptian art dating back to 3000 BC depicts cats chasing and catching mice.
- The word pet comes from the Middle English word petty, which means “small.”
- The pharaohs of the Middle East kept hyenas, lions, and monkeys as pets. However, the Egyptians valued cats more than any other animal.
- All cultures seemed to recognize pet ownership at the same time. No society has come up with the idea of companion animals.
- During the 1700s and 1800s, newspapers regularly featured pet eulogies.
- Philip Henry Gosse created the first aquarium in 1850, prompting more and more people to keep fish as pets.
Here’s what we’ve learned about prehistoric pets. In short, the exact date of the pet’s appearance is not yet known. However, research suggests that humans and animals probably started communicating over 10,000 years ago.
Next: State laws on exotic pet ownership
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