A chicken coup

On 6 June, an article was published in the prestigious Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences entitled ‘The biocultural origins and dispersal of domestic chickens’. The research involved 600 archaeological sites in 89 countries, and centred on where this bird was first domesticated. Now this is quite a significant topic for humanity when you look at the figures. Currently, there are about 25.9 billion domestic chickens on Earth, compared with 1 billion cattle, 1.1 billion sheep, 1 billion goats, and 784 million pigs. Getting on for 70 billion chickens are slaughtered annually, a figure growing sharply year by year, compared with about 302 million cattle and 784 million pigs. Far more chicken meat is eaten than any other animal, with pork coming a distant second. And raising chickens has a tiny carbon footprint when compared with other domestic animals.

These facts place the humble chicken fairly and squarely in the spotlight for any study of the Neolithic Revolution and its implications. Where was this productive bird first domesticated, when, and under what circumstances? Until I read the article, I must confess that I was not only ignorant of the answers, but also had never given the issue much contemplation. Somehow, when studying the faunal remains from sites I have excavated, it has always been the big animals, like cattle, water buffalo, and deer, that have taken precedence. I have worked on the prehistory of South-east Asia now for 52 years, so imagine my interest when I read that the chicken was domesticated from the jungle fowl in my own backyard. What began as a frisson soon turned into a paean of pride. Apparently, my Thai colleague Rachanie Thosarat and I have found the world’s earliest domestic chicken, dated from c.1650 BC, at the site of Ban Non Wat in North-east Thailand. My head swam. Will we soon find ourselves in The Guinness Book of Records, offered a medal ceremony, perhaps, from the World Chicken Producers Forum? I eagerly anticipate invitations to speak across America, appearances on The Late Show, a visit to 10 Downing Street.

Which came first?

I have often referred to our ten seasons at the fabulous site of Ban Non Wat. Viewed from the air, it is a typical small village community of North-east Thailand. The largest building is the site museum and study centre, built right over our main excavation square. When we began digging, I confidently anticipated a Late Iron Age occupation, but as we delved deeper, so we encountered six phases of Bronze Age burials overlying two phases of Neolithic associated with middens dating back to about 1700 BC. To gild the lily, we then discovered an even lower shell midden, an infant burial, and deer skeleton dating back to about 15,000 BC. The early chicken bones came from the Neolithic occupation. We thus have the when, but still ask: why?