Over the ages, more partners than bosom buddies

In 2004, cat bones were discovered alongside human remains in a 9,500-year-old grave in Cyprus. Thus far, it's the earliest evidence of a relationship between humans and felines, but it's obvious that the dead feline was feral.

In 2007, scientists in Egypt discovered cat bones buried alongside human remains from 5,500 years ago. The scientists determined that the cat had a broken leg, and there were signs of heavy-impact injuries, raising the possibility that cats were sacrificed to appease the gods.

However, artworks from 4,000 years ago depict the daily lives of Egyptians worshipping and feeding their beloved cats. The paintings are regarded as the earliest evidence of the domestication of cats. Reverence for cats is strongly associated with the Goddess Bastet, a woman with the head of a cat who governed love and fertility in ancient Egyptian mythology.

Cats were often mummified after death, and the ancients believed cat's eyes could dispel demons in the dark.

A dearth of evidence about how feral cats evolved into their domestic counterparts between 9,500 and 4,000 years ago is a crucial stumbling block for scientists attempting to solve the mystery of domestication, but the bones found in Quanhucun may provide researchers with more clues.

(China Daily Africa Weekly 01/31/2014 page25)