Animal husbandry

Animal domestication, to be differentiated from taming, is understood as a relationship between a population of animals and human society that results in changes to both sides. This phenomenon began in Mesopotamia in the sixth millennium BCE. Sources on domestication and husbandry are both archeozoological and epigraphic, the latter category consisting of daily life administrative records and lexical lists that shed light on terminology. The main species are sheep and goats, cattle, pigs, and horses, and dogs are attested enough for remarks as well. Some types of animal production involved large-scale, regulated enterprises involving the management of state institutions, whereas other animals were domesticated on a small-scale, household level. Domestication can thus be examined in the context of the development of workforces and complex economies, alongside the growth of cities.