Learn how sheep were domesticated, traded, and raised in different regions and periods of history. Discover the role of sheep in early American history, colonial conflicts, and presidential shepherds.

Learn about the history of the domestic sheep, one of the first animals to be domesticated by humans. Explore the wild ancestors, the regions, the products, and the breeds of sheep from ancient times to the present.

Abstract. Sheep was one of the first domesticated animals in Neolithic West Eurasia. The zooarchaeological record suggests that domestication first took place in Southwest Asia, although much remains unresolved about the precise location (s) and timing (s) of earliest domestication, or the post-domestication history of sheep.

Learn about the origins, evolution, and global distribution of sheep, the first domesticated ruminant. Discover how sheep are consumed, milked, and used for wool, leather, and other products.

Learn about the origin, evolution, and distribution of domestic sheep, Ovis aries, from their wild progenitor, Ovis orientalis, in the Fertile Crescent. Explore the genetic, morphological, and archaeological evidence for the domestication process and the diversity of breeds.

Learn how sheep were domesticated at least three times in the Fertile Crescent and spread across the world. Explore the archaeological and genetic evidence of sheep in different regions and lineages.