Origins and Evolution of Pig Domestication in Italy

The domestication of the wild boar and the emergence of the domestic pig are a fundamental aspect of the Neolithic and a key moment in human history. This book represents the most comprehensive zooarchaeological study to date of the origins and evolution of the domestication of the pig in the Italian peninsula, from a wide regional scale and a diachronic perspective. Some key archaeological questions addressed concern how and when the process of pig domestication commenced in Italy, how it evolved, and how it compares with the wider European and Middle Eastern scenarios. Through the collection of mainly biometrical data from several Italian prehistoric sites, this book explores changes in pig management through time, from the Upper Palaeolithic to the Bronze Age. The results are articulated with both historical changes in Italian societies and evidence from other areas, to achieve a comprehensive understanding of domestication.