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Cited by 47Archaeology and ancient environmental studiesLivestock and Poultry ManagementGlobal Maritime and Colonial Histories

Early Evidence for Domestic Chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) in the Horn of Africa

Woldekiros, H. S., D'Andrea, A. C.·2017·International Journal of Osteoarchaeology
DOI 10.1002/oa.2540
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Abstract

Domestic chickens (Gallus gallus domesticusL. 1758) are one of the most valued farm animals in the world today. Chickens are widespread and economically and socially significant in Africa. Despite their importance, little is known about the nature of their introduction and subsequent integration into African economies. One reason for this is the morphological similarity of domestic chickens to wild galliform birds in Africa such as guineafowl and francolin. Here, we present direct dates and morphological evidence for domestic chickens recovered from Mezber, a pre‐Aksumite (>800–450 BCE) rural farming settlement in northern Ethiopia. Key morphological markers differentiated these domestic chickens from francolins. The Mezber direct chicken element accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) dates of cal 820–595 BCE and indirect/charcoal AMS dates of cal 921–801 BCE constitute the earliest osteological evidence for chickens in Africa. Chicken bones in the domestic food waste of an early rural settlement at Mezber and their presence in later Aksumite urban contexts show that chickens were integrated into diverse Ethiopian highland settings. The Mezber specimens predate the earliest known Egyptian chickens by at least 550 years and draw attention to early exotic faunal exchanges in the Horn of Africa during the early first millennium BCE. These findings support previous archaeological, genetics and linguistic data that suggest maritime exchange networks with South Arabia through ports along the African Red Sea coast constitute one possible early route of introduction of chickens to Africa. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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  • Direct radiocarbon-dated chicken bones from Pre-Aksumite northern Ethiopia (~800 to 600 BCE) demonstrate that chickens had been translocated to the Horn of Africa prior to their presence in Achaemenid Egypt, likely across the Red Sea.

    “Direct radiocarbon-dated chicken bones from Pre-Aksumite northern Ethiopia (∼800 to 600 BCE) demonstrate that, prior to their presence in Achaemenid Egypt, chickens had been translocated, likely across the Red Sea, to the Horn of Africa (58).”

    From The biocultural origins and dispersal of domestic chickens (2022) · cites this paper as [58]

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Authors
Woldekiros, H. S., & D'Andrea, A. C.
Affiliations
  • Washington University in St. Louis (US)
  • Department of Archaeology Simon Fraser University Burnaby British Columbia Canada
Corresponding author
Woldekiros, H. S.
ORCID
Woldekiros, H. S.
Venue
International Journal of Osteoarchaeology
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2016-07
Volume
27
Issue
3
Pages
329-341
ISSN
  • 1047-482X (ISSN-L)
  • 1099-1212
DOI
10.1002/oa.2540
OpenAlex
W2405491266
Cited by
47
References
53
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 3
FWCI
2.77
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor (vor)
Locations
International Journal of Osteoarchaeology (publishedVersion)
Funders
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (410‐2007‐2472, 410‐2011‐1646)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Archaeology and ancient environmental studies
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Animal Science and Zoology › Livestock and Poultry Management
  • Social Sciences › Anthropology › Global Maritime and Colonial Histories
Keywords
chickens, chicken domestication, Ethiopia, Horn of Africa, accelerator mass spectrometry dating, chicken bone, francolins, guinea fowl, South Arabia, Red Sea trade, Aksumite period

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