Redefining the timing and circumstances of the chicken's introduction to Europe and north-west Africa

Julia Best; Sean Doherty; Lindsey Sarah Buster; Ian Armit; Zlatozar Boev; Barry Cunliffe; Alison Foster; Ben Frimet; Sheila Hamilton-Dyer; Tom Higham; Ophélie Lebrasseur; Lorraine Mepham; Holly Miller; Joris Peters; Michaël Seigle; Caroline Skelton; Rob Symmons; Richard Thomas; Angela Trentacoste; Mark Maltby; Greger Larson; Naomi Sykes

doi:10.15184/aqy.2021.90

Redefining the timing and circumstances of the chicken's introduction to Europe and north-west Africa

Julia Best, Sean Doherty, Lindsey Sarah Buster, Ian Armit, Zlatozar Boev, Barry Cunliffe, Alison Foster, Ben Frimet, Sheila Hamilton-Dyer, Tom Higham, Ophélie Lebrasseur, Lorraine Mepham, Holly Miller, Joris Peters, Michaël Seigle, Caroline Skelton, Rob Symmons, Richard Thomas, Angela Trentacoste, Mark MaltbyGreger Larson, Naomi Sykes

Archaeology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Astonishingly little is known about the early history of the chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus). To better understand their spatiotemporal spread across Eurasia and Africa, we radiocarbon dated presumed early chicken bones. The results indicate chickens were an Iron Age arrival to Europe and that there was a consistent time-lag of several centuries between their introduction to new regions and incorporation into the human diet. Well-dated evidence for Britain and mainland Europe suggests chickens were initially considered exotica and buried as individuals, were gradually incorporated into human funerary rites, and only much later came to be seen as just ‘food’.

Original language	English
Number of pages	15
Journal	Antiquity
Early online date	7 Jun 2022
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2021.90
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 7 Jun 2022

Bibliographical note

Access to Document

10.15184/aqy.2021.90Licence: CC BY

AQY-RE-21-054.R1_Proof_hi
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Antiquity Publications Ltd.
Accepted author manuscript, 1.48 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

Best, J., Doherty, S., Buster, L. S., Armit, I., Boev, Z., Cunliffe, B., Foster, A., Frimet, B., Hamilton-Dyer, S., Higham, T., Lebrasseur, O., Mepham, L., Miller, H., Peters, J., Seigle, M., Skelton, C., Symmons, R., Thomas, R., Trentacoste, A., ... Sykes, N. (2022). Redefining the timing and circumstances of the chicken's introduction to Europe and north-west Africa. Antiquity. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2021.90

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title = "Redefining the timing and circumstances of the chicken's introduction to Europe and north-west Africa",

abstract = "Astonishingly little is known about the early history of the chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus). To better understand their spatiotemporal spread across Eurasia and Africa, we radiocarbon dated presumed early chicken bones. The results indicate chickens were an Iron Age arrival to Europe and that there was a consistent time-lag of several centuries between their introduction to new regions and incorporation into the human diet. Well-dated evidence for Britain and mainland Europe suggests chickens were initially considered exotica and buried as individuals, were gradually incorporated into human funerary rites, and only much later came to be seen as just {\textquoteleft}food{\textquoteright}.",

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Best, J, Doherty, S, Buster, LS , Armit, I, Boev, Z, Cunliffe, B, Foster, A, Frimet, B, Hamilton-Dyer, S, Higham, T, Lebrasseur, O, Mepham, L, Miller, H, Peters, J, Seigle, M, Skelton, C, Symmons, R, Thomas, R, Trentacoste, A, Maltby, M, Larson, G & Sykes, N 2022, 'Redefining the timing and circumstances of the chicken's introduction to Europe and north-west Africa', Antiquity. https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2021.90

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AU - Buster, Lindsey Sarah

AU - Armit, Ian

AU - Boev, Zlatozar

AU - Cunliffe, Barry

AU - Foster, Alison

AU - Frimet, Ben

AU - Hamilton-Dyer, Sheila

AU - Higham, Tom

AU - Lebrasseur, Ophélie

AU - Mepham, Lorraine

AU - Miller, Holly

AU - Peters, Joris

AU - Seigle, Michaël

AU - Skelton, Caroline

AU - Symmons, Rob

AU - Thomas, Richard

AU - Trentacoste, Angela

AU - Maltby, Mark

AU - Larson, Greger

AU - Sykes, Naomi

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