Animal Husbandry (Civ4)/Civilopedia

Animal husbandry possibly started as early as 9000 BC with the domestication of dogs, goats and sheep. During the Neolithic period as people started to settle into fixed agricultural communities this domestication intensified. Originally kept mainly for their meat, sheep and goats became valuable also for their milk and wool. Cattle were domesticated both for meat and skin and as work animals for agriculture; their milk production was not a factor until much later in history when breeding for high milk production produced suitable cows. Horses were also domesticated and became important for transportation and came to play a major part in warfare.