Sheep and goats may have played a greater role in the rise of the world’s first cities than previously believed, according to research into ancient herding and urbanism in the Middle East. The research suggests that the social behavior of these herd animals may have influenced how early humans learned to live together in large, densely populated settlements, offering a new perspective on how the first cities emerged.
The study, authored by Kathryn Grossman, an archaeologist at North Carolina State University, was published in the Cambridge Archaeological Journal. Grossman argues that research into the origins of cities has focused largely on human decisions and innovations, while paying far less attention to the animals that lived alongside people and may have influenced the development of early urban societies.
Bones from Hamoukar reveal clues about ancient herding
To make her case, Grossman examined animal bones from Hamoukar, an ancient site in northeastern Syria that dates back roughly six thousand years. Her research included more than 6,500 bone fragments recovered during excavations at the site between 2006 and 2010.
Sheep and goats made up the vast majority of the remains, accounting for more than eighty percent of the identified animals. Sheep outnumbered goats by about two to one, and dog bones were also present, suggesting that dogs were likely part of the multispecies communities associated with the flocks.
Grossman found that many of the animals were kept alive well past the age typically chosen for meat production, hinting that herders may have valued them for reasons beyond food, such as wool or breeding. She also noted that the herds appeared to include both male and female adults living together, a setup that would have required constant social adjustment among the animals.
How sheep and goats may have shaped the world’s first cities
That adjustment is central to Grossman’s argument. She points to research showing that sheep can recognize up to fifty individual faces and flocks are able to reorganize themselves after mixing with other groups. Grossman suggests that this flexible social structure may have given early humans a working model for managing large, dense communities of their own at a time when cities were still a new concept.
Grossman also points to language as evidence. Ancient Mesopotamians often described their cities using herding terms, calling the city of Uruk the “Sheepfold” and referring to rulers as shepherds of their people. These phrases appear repeatedly in ancient texts long after the earliest cities were established.
Grossman describes her theory as a starting point rather than a final answer, encouraging other archaeologists to consider animals as active participants in the story of urban life rather than simply background resources.
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