in response to Terry - perhaps there was something
in it for us, once the habit of storing food was consistent enough to attract
synanthropic/commensal small mammals to raid the stores! There are historical
examples of cats taken on ships for this reason - much later, obviously - so
possibly an early attempt at biological control of pests rather than
domestication?
j
Julie Hamilton
Research Laboratory for
Archaeology and the History of Art
Dyson Perrins Building
South Parks
Rd
OXFORD OX1 3QY