Pigs were first domesticated in central Asia, at least as long ago as 9000 years, and perhaps a couple thousand years older. They were part of the original suite of domesticates, including sheep, goats, wheat and barley, that were spread into Europe via the Linearbandkeramik. Archaeological sites with evidence for early pigs include Hallam Çemi, Çayönü Tepesi, and Neval Çori in eastern Turkey.
European domestic pigs, descendants of the European wild boar.
Jeff Veitch, Durham University.©2009 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.
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