Chapter 17 – PREHISTORIC NAVIGATORS AND MERCHANTS
“The real voyage of discovery consists not in discovering new lands, but in having new eyes.” Marcel Proust
In this chapter I explain that all the peoples of the Mediterranean basin are largely of European origin. And not just humans... [...] it is also interesting to see how the Nordic origin can perhaps also explain the characteristics of the domestic cat, which for the Egyptians was a sacred and very important animal. It is believed to have been domesticated in the Middle East from the African wild cat some 10,000 years ago, coinciding with the emergence of agriculture and the need to protect crops from rodents.
The cat, however, is very skilled at climbing trees, even if it may not be as adept at descending, but this was not a problem in ancient Europe, which being covered by intricate forests on all sides, allowed it to moving from tree to tree almost never having to go down to the ground, until he found a branch low enough; furthermore, when he falls he always manages to turn on all fours, has thick fur, has excellent eyesight in low light conditions, has sensitive mustaches (the vibrissae) to move in the dark. These are all qualities typical of an animal suitable for the habitat of temperate broad-leaved forests, even if his intelligence and adaptability, and the symbiosis with man, have allowed him to live at all latitudes and in all environments, including deserts; its presence has often proved destructive to local bird and small mammal species, leading them to extinction.
The European wild cat seems to be little inclined to domestication, but it may be that even in his case, as happened to the wolf who turned into a dog after millennia of selection, man has proceeded to select the most tame specimens to live next to him, then bringing them with it on its migration routes; some specimens may have preferred freedom to the cumbersome proximity of its bipedal companion, returning to go wild even in environments very different from its natural habitat, to end up perhaps being adopted again after centuries by human beings. While in Egypt the first traces of domestication date back to 2000 BC, a human tomb dating from 7500-7000 BC has recently been discovered in Cyprus with the remains of a cat with characters similar (but not equal) to the African wild species. With good reason, our furry friend can be considered the mystery animal par excellence! If we then observe that most of the colonies of stray felines in our cities are found living in the midst of ancient ruins, then we can deduce that there is a remarkable affinity between cats and archaeology... even, in Rome, the largest community of cats who love ancient history has chosen to reside right in the place where Julius Caesar was murdered!
Statue and mummy of a cat, Egypt. Buonconsiglio Castle Museum, Trento
