---
title: "Domestication of the Sheep"
year: 9000
canonical: "https://recap.at/9000/sheep-domestication"
slug: "sheep-domestication"
recapType: "global_event"
startDate: "9000-01-01"
---

# Domestication of the Sheep

> The herding of wild sheep in the Fertile Crescent marked a shift toward pastoralism and pastoral nomadism, reshaping Bronze Age conflicts and trade.

## Summary

Sheep are among the first animals to have been domesticated by humans. Their history goes back to between 11,000 and 9,000 BCE, when humans domesticated the wild mouflon in ancient Mesopotamia. The first sheep were primarily raised for meat, milk, and skins. Woolly sheep began to be developed around 6000 BCE. They were then imported to Africa and Europe via trading.

## Sources

- [Domestication of the sheep](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestication_of_the_sheep) - Wikipedia

---
Canonical: https://recap.at/9000/sheep-domestication