The origin of domestic cats has been a prominent topic amongst researchers. Their emergence has been linked to the Neolithic period, where they accompanied the farmers while spreading across Europe, along with the agricultural adaptation. However, further investigations have been conducted wherein the significance puzzled the archaeologists. Recently, two large-scale investigations were conducted by the University of Rome Tor Vergata and 42 institutions, and another by the University of Exeter and contributors from 37 institutions, pointing out that Tunisia could be the place of the origin of the domestic cat.

The Tor Vergata Study on Cats

The expert team of researchers from the University of Rome Tor Vergata conducted paleo-genomic analyses, where they analyzed the specimens of cats from 97 archaeological sites across Europe and Anatolia. Likewise, they also took samples from North Africa, Bulgaria, and Italy.

According to the study published on bioRxiv titled “The dispersal of domestic cats from Northern Africa and their introduction to Europe over the last two millennia”, the researchers analysed a total of 70 low-coverage ancient genomes, 37 radiocarbon-dated cat remains, and 17 modern and museum genomes.

The Tor Vergata Study Results

The Tor Vergata Team, as a result of the nuclear DNA analyses, identified felines embedded by domestic ancestry that appeared from the first century CE onwards in Europe. The team also identified two introductory waves — one from the second century BCE, where wildcats were brought from Northwest Africa to Sardinia, raising the current island population, whereas the other wave belonged to the Roman Imperial period, where the cats genetically sounded similar to domestic cats in Europe. Here, Tunisia was observed as the base for early domestication.

The University of Exeter Study

According to a reprint titled, “Redefining the timing and circumstances of cat domestication, their dispersal trajectories, and the extirpation of European Wildcats,” the collaborative study by the University of Exeter shed light on a distinct timeline. They analysed 2,416 archeological field bones around 206 sites and cross-referenced morphological data, accompanied by genetic findings.

The key findings of this collaborative study defined that domestic cats first appeared in the early first millennium BCE in Europe. Their existence occurred before Roman expansion.

The Egyptian Connection

According to mythological theories, the emergence of domestication of cats was related to religious and cultural dimensions. In Egypt, the cats were considered holy. Also, in Greek culture, these creatures became religious symbols of Artemis and Diana — a multifaceted divinity.

Although the two studies offer different understandings, the results indicate that cats appeared in Europe after moving from North Africa as a result of cultural practices, religious reverence, and trade networks.