The ancient bond between pigeons and people

A small limestone pigeon sculpture from Cyprus dating to 600–480 BCE. Credit: Cesnola Collection of Cypriot Art at the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art (CC-0) Source Examination of pigeon bones from Late Bronze Age Hala Sultan Tekke, Cyprus indicates they were already semi-domesticated as early as c. 1400 BCE, pushing back direct evidence for pigeon domestication almost 1,000 years and challenging perceptions of the birds as opportunistic urban pests. Importantly, the earliest direct evidence for domesticated pigeons had previously come from a site in Hellenistic Greece, dating from c. 323–265 BCE. Therefore, these findings push the origins of pigeon domestication back almost 1,000 years. Friend or foul? Exploring the ancient bond between pigeons and people Steve being a pigeon guy, this news would interest him. His pigeon book was a good read.