Assessment Questions 8.20

1. What is the significance of the archaeological evidence found in Shillourokambos on the island of Cyprus?

The archaeological evidence from Shillourokambos, dating back more than 9,000 years, includes a double burial of a human and an 8-month-old cat. This is considered the earliest evidence of a close relationship between a human and a young wildcat, possibly the Near Eastern wildcat, which could be the wild ancestor of domesticated house cats.

2. What is the approximate time gap between the burial of a wild kitten with a human and the appearance of demonstrably domesticated cats in the archaeological record in Egypt?

The burial of a wild kitten with a human occurred more than 9,000 years ago, while demonstrably domesticated cats don't appear in the archaeological record in Egypt until about 5,800 years ago.

3. Where did cat domestication happen independently, and which species were involved in each case?

Cat domestication happened independently at least twice—once in the Middle East and Africa with the Near Eastern wildcat, and once in China with the Asian wild leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis).