Animal Bones

The study of animal bones from archaeological sites is called zooarchaeology. At Çatalhöyük, zooarchaeology is important because the people living in the community were among the first to domesticate sheep, goats, pigs, and cattle. The people also hunted many animals for meat, including wild cattle, bison, wild horses, deer and elk, and several kinds of birds. Leopards, bulls, and stags were painted or sculpted as part of the religious art of Çatalhöyük. Archaeologists know this because at Çatalhöyük they have identified the bones of these animals. Interestingly, leopard skins are found worn as clothing in art but they haven't found leopard bones to support that people really wore the skins.

Mystery - how were sheep goats and cattle domesticated?