Decoding human-animal relationships in Prehistoric Europe: insights from paleogenomics of pig and cattle

This thesis examines how human-animal relationships evolved, focusing on cattle and pigs around the time of early farming, which began approximately 12,000 years ago. Domestication in this period marked a shift, with animals playing more significant roles in human societies. Different animals were domesticated through three main pathways: some lived closely with humans (commensal), some were initially hunted (prey), and others were purposefully bred (directed). Cattle and pig husbandry followed divergent routes into Europe, with cattle and pigs primarily spreading along the Danubian route and goats and sheep along the Mediterranean route.

To explore these dynamics, this study uses a mix of DNA analysis, archaeology, and isotopic analysis to understand ancient human-animal relationships and management practices. One key focus was improving the analysis of ancient DNA, which is often fragmented and difficult to study. This research tested a method to fill in gaps in the DNA of ancient cattle and pigs, finding that the method worked well for cattle, helping to produce clearer genetic data.

Findings show that cattle were often carefully managed and integrated into communities, whereas pigs tended to roam freely and interacted with people in a less structured way. Additionally, genetic evidence suggests that European cattle still had ties to Southwest Asian ancestors, while European pigs were genetically mixed with local wild boar.

A case study of ancient Dutch settlements shows early examples of cattle farming and hints that wild boar might have been attracted to human areas, creating unique human-animal relationships. Overall, the thesis highlights the value of using multiple research methods to gain a fuller understanding of early human-animal dynamics.