Pigeons were bred in Cyprus as early as 3,500 years ago.

Pigeons have been a fixture of the Cypriot landscape for centuries. However, recent research shows that their connection with the island's inhabitants goes back much further than previously thought. Scientists have uncovered evidence suggesting that the birds may have been intentionally bred by humans as early as 1400 BC, nearly 3,500 years ago.

Discovery at Hala Sultan Tekke

The research was carried out at the archaeological site of Hala Sultan Tekke near Larnaca – one of the most important port cities of the Late Bronze Age in the eastern Mediterranean.

Archaeologists analyzed dozens of pigeon bones discovered during excavations. Some belonged to very young birds that likely never left their nests. This is the first indication that pigeons may have bred in close proximity to humans.

They ate the same things as people.

Isotope studies proved crucial. They showed that the pigeons' diet was almost identical to that of the settlement's inhabitants.

According to scientists, this indicates that the birds did not live exclusively in the wild. They were likely regularly fed or ate food supplies gathered by humans. This is one of the strongest pieces of evidence for their partial domestication.

Not just meat

Pigeons may have served many functions in Cyprus. They provided meat, their droppings were used as natural fertilizer, and the birds themselves may have had symbolic or religious significance.

The discovery site revealed numerous traces of ritual feasts and valuable artifacts from various parts of the Mediterranean basin. Researchers speculate that pigeons may also have played an important role in religious ceremonies.

Cyprus surprises archaeologists again

This is another discovery demonstrating how developed the societies that inhabited Cyprus were over three thousand years ago. In recent years, researchers have also uncovered evidence of the world's oldest known perfumery and advanced crafts and trade on the island.

New research also changes the history of pigeon domestication. Direct evidence of pigeon breeding dates back nearly a thousand years more than previously thought.

Did you know that…?

Today's city pigeons are descended from the rock pigeon (Columba livia). Their natural habitat was rocky coastlines and cliffs, so tall buildings in cities remind them of natural nesting sites.