Jake Harper
Chickens are native to Southeast Asia but have become widespread across the world. They were domesticated by at least 5000 BCE and spread through migration, trade, colonisation, and the movement of armies. They are now present on every continent except Antarctica. The spread of chickens is closely linked to human movement, and their ability to provide meat and eggs has made them one of the most valued domesticated animals globally.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Native region | Southeast Asia |
| Primary wild ancestor | Red Junglefowl (Gallus gallus) |
| Other genetic influences | Grey Junglefowl (Gallus sonneratii), Sri Lanka Junglefowl (Gallus lafayetti), Green Junglefowl (Gallus varius) |
| Primary origin | Red Junglefowl (Gallus gallus domesticus) |
| Domestication location | Thailand and other regions in Asia |
| Domestication time period | 7,000-10,000 years ago |
| Spread to Europe | Iron Age |
| Spread to sub-Saharan Africa | AD |
| Introduction to the Americas | By Columbus or possibly earlier by Polynesian voyagers |
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What You'll Learn
Chickens are native to Southeast Asia
Chickens are believed to be native to Southeast Asia, with some sources also stating Southwest China. They were first domesticated around 8,000 years ago, and have since become one of the most common and widespread domesticated animals globally. The process of domestication likely occurred in Southeast Asia or southern China, with people domesticating colourful pheasants, likely the red junglefowl, which is now believed to be the chief ancestor of the modern chicken.
Red junglefowl can fly and live in trees, but they look very similar to chickens. They were likely chosen for domestication due to their exotic plumage or for cockfighting, which remains a lucrative business in Southeast Asia. The sport of cockfighting may also be the principal reason for the dispersion of chickens, as traders would carry the birds over long distances.
Chickens were likely first domesticated by Austronesian peoples, who carried them throughout Island Southeast Asia, Micronesia, Island Melanesia, Polynesia, and Madagascar, starting from at least 3000 BC from Taiwan. They may also have been introduced to South America by Polynesian seafarers before Western contact, although this is disputed.
Chickens were widespread throughout southern Central Asia by the 4th century BC, with Middle Eastern chicken remains dating back to around 2000 BC in Syria. Phoenicians spread chickens along the Mediterranean coasts, reaching as far as Iberia. During the Hellenistic period (4th–2nd centuries BC), chickens began to be widely domesticated for food in the southern Levant. The first pictures of chickens in Europe are found on Corinthian pottery from the 7th century BC, and breeding increased under the Roman Empire.
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They were domesticated around 7000-10,000 years ago
Chickens are believed to have been domesticated around 7000-10,000 years ago. They are native to Southeast Asia and parts of India. However, their domestication and spread across the world are closely linked to human migration and trade. Over time, chickens have been bred to be larger and lay more eggs, but they remain fairly similar to their wild ancestors.
The primary wild ancestor of chickens is believed to be the Southeast Asian Red Junglefowl (Gallus gallus). DNA studies have shown that the Red Junglefowl lacks the gene for yellow skin and shanks, indicating that hybridization with other junglefowl species occurred during domestication. For example, the Indian Gamebird and the Brahmas of China exhibit physical characteristics of the Grey Junglefowl (Gallus sonneratii), and the Sumatra breed shows genetic contributions from the Sri Lanka Junglefowl (Gallus lafayetti).
The spread of chickens from Asia is thought to have been initiated by the first farmers or Austronesians, who brought them to Island Southeast Asia around 5000 years ago. From there, they continued to spread through migration and trade routes, reaching Europe through Phoenician traders around 776 to 540 BCE and the rest of southern Europe and medieval Europe through Christianity. Chickens were also introduced to the Pacific island archipelagos by Polynesian voyagers, and there is evidence to suggest that they brought chickens to South America before Columbus.
The rapid dispersion of chickens is also attributed to the sport of cockfighting, which became popular in various regions. This, coupled with their ability to provide meat and eggs without competing for human food sources, led to their widespread distribution and integration into local cuisines.
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They spread to the Old World via trade and migration
Chickens are believed to be native to the tropical jungles of Southeast Asia. They were domesticated around 7000-10000 years ago and spread to other parts of the world via trade and migration.
Chickens were introduced to West Asia and the Near East during the third and second millennium BC. They were brought to Europe by the Phoenicians in the 8th century BC. Initially, they were used for ceremonial or symbolic purposes, as evidenced by their inclusion in burials and clay figurines in early Chinese cultures. However, as they spread across Europe, they became an established part of European livestock. When the Vikings colonized Iceland in the 10th century, they brought chickens with them.
The spread of chickens from Asia southwards and eastwards is believed to have been initiated by the first farmers or Austronesians, who migrated from mainland China to Island Southeast Asia around 5000 years ago. They brought with them domestic animals such as pigs and dogs, and it is assumed that chickens were also part of this migration.
Evidence suggests that the Indus Valley may have been the ground zero for the westward spread of chickens. Archaeologists have found chicken bones in Lothal, a former port city on the west coast of India, indicating that chickens may have been transported to the Arabian Peninsula. By 2000 BC, cuneiform tablets from Mesopotamia refer to "the bird of Meluhha," which may have been a reference to chickens originating from the Indus Valley.
Chickens are easy to keep, travel with, and farm, which contributed to their rapid spread across the world. They provide meat and eggs without competing for human food sources, making them valuable to various cultures and economic strata.
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Polynesian voyagers may have introduced chickens to the New World
Chickens are believed to be native to Southeast Asia and parts of India. They were domesticated by 7000 BC and spread through migration and trade to other parts of the world.
While Christopher Columbus is often credited with bringing chickens to the New World, there is a theory that Polynesian voyagers introduced chickens to the Americas before European contact. This theory is supported by archaeological and DNA evidence.
In 2007, an international research team led by Alice Storey of the University of Auckland found the "first unequivocal evidence" of a pre-European introduction of chickens to South America. The remains of a chicken bone, excavated at El Arenal on the Arauco Peninsula in south-central Chile, was found to be descended from Polynesian stock and dated to between 1304 and 1424, at least 100 years before the arrival of Europeans.
This discovery has significant implications for our understanding of ancient Polynesian voyaging capabilities and their interactions with prehistoric populations in the New World. It also challenges the notion that chickens were introduced to the Americas by Spanish or Portuguese explorers, as some had previously suggested.
Further evidence of prehistoric contact between Polynesia and the Americas includes the presence of South American crops, such as sweet potatoes and maize, in pre-European archaeological sites in Polynesia and Southeast Asia.
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Chickens were absent from early Polynesian archaeological assemblages in New Zealand
Chickens are believed to be native to Southeast Asia and parts of India. They were domesticated by at least 7000 BC and spread through migration and trade to other parts of the world. They reached Europe during the Iron Age and sub-Saharan Africa after that. They may not have reached the Americas until after Western contact, although there is a theory that they were introduced by Polynesian voyagers.
In New Zealand, chicken bones have been recovered from localities of early archaeological middens. However, it has long been assumed that chickens were absent from early Polynesian archaeological assemblages in New Zealand. This assumption has been tested through ancient DNA and radiocarbon analyses of chicken bones from sites of Māori middens containing prehistoric material. The results show that the bones are not prehistoric, but are still the earliest chicken remains known from New Zealand. Two of the bones pre-date permanent European settlement but overlap with the arrival of James Cook's second voyage in 1773–1774, suggesting that they were introduced by Europeans.
The fact that the chicken bones from New Zealand are all eighteenth century or younger strongly suggests that chickens were either not introduced prehistorically or, if they were, they did not persist long enough to leave a trace in the archaeological record. If chickens had been established in New Zealand by the first settlers, it is expected that chicken bones would be more abundant and widespread in middens throughout the country, as they are on other Polynesian islands where they were introduced during prehistory.
It is speculated that when the first Polynesians arrived in New Zealand and found an abundance of large, easily hunted, flightless birds, efforts to establish the domestic chicken, which required a certain amount of husbandry, may have been rapidly abandoned. This may explain why chickens were absent from early Polynesian archaeological assemblages in New Zealand.
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Frequently asked questions
Chickens are native to Southeast Asia, but they were domesticated and spread across the Old World by trade during antiquity.
Traders and armies took chickens everywhere because they provided meat and eggs. They were also taken to new places by the first farmers, or Austronesians, who spread from mainland China into Island Southeast Asia around 5000 years ago.
While Columbus brought chickens to the New World, there is evidence that they were introduced much earlier by Polynesian voyagers.
