VN July 2023

Vetnews | Julie 2023 29 The omestication of the now-extinct aurochs ( Bos primigenius ) led to the origin of taurine ( Bos taurus , ca. 10000 B.C.) and indicine cattle ( Bos indicus , ca. 8000 B.C.) in the Fertile Crescent and Indus Valley, respectively. People of the Indus Valley, known as the Meluhhas, were important trading partners of the Sumerians. They exchanged not only zebus but also water buffaloes ( Bubalus bubalis ), which adapted quite well to the southern marshlands. The Sumerians took very well care of these expensive cattle. There were specialized shepherds and specific pens for them, like the one in Figure 1, a reed construction typical of Sumerian marshlands. There were two main breeds in Sumer: the oldest, resembling the aurochs with long horns and legs, and a second, short-legged, better suited for pulling the plough and, therefore, it was replacing the first from the II millennia. Oxen trained to pull the plough (Figure 2) were highly valued as a great help for labouring the fields. These animals had a great impact on the Sumerian economy as they facilitated agricultural work, allowing more efficient use of the fields. Cows were milked to make cheeses. These spherical cheeses were made by churning sour milk without rennet, and they were enriched with herbs and grains. Like other animals, bulls were often offered as a sacrifice for religious ceremonies. In terms of religious significance, all the gods in Mesopotamia wore a horned cap as a symbol of divinity and lordship. The bull was linked to the moon god Nanna, Sin, in the Akkadian culture, as the horns of cattle resemble the crescent satellite. These were the main attributes of this powerful god, one of the major deities of the Mesopotamian pantheon, and they served to represent him. In the same way, his consort Ningal was linked to the cow. They both formed a sacred marriage that would promote the fertility of the land. Due to its strength and ferocity, the bull was also a symbol of power and protection. Another mythological creature, the Lammasu ( d lamma ), was placed in pairs flanking the doors of cities and buildings, such as palaces or temples, as they were beneficial protectors. They were chimeric creatures with bull bodies and a human head, often winged. Another important mythological creature, the Bull of Heaven, was defeated by the famous hero Gilgamesh. v THE HORNS OF THE MOON: THE IMPORTANCE OF CATTLE IN THE SUMERIAN SOCIETY Silvia Nicolás Alonso Ph.D. in Veterinary Medicine Biblical and Oriental Institute (León, Spain) Do you Know? Figure 2: Up, cattle pulling the wooden plow. Note the device for depositing the seeds in the furrows, another Sumerian invention. Cylinder seal imprint. Nippur, II millennium B.C.). Penn Museum. Down: Classification of draft oxen (team of four). Sumer was known as the land of sheep and wool, as thousands of heads supported this flourishing industry. Although not as abundant because of their higher nutritional and water requirements, which increased maintenance costs, cattle were also highly valued and important livestock in Sumerian society. Figure 1: Up, a herd of cows and their pen, a calf peeks outs on the entrance. Cylinder seal imprint. Uruk period (4100-3000 B.C.). Louvre Museum. Down: cuneiform signs for some bovids, transliterations are bold for Sumerian and italics for Akkadian. The pictograms fromwhich the bull and cow cuneiform signs evolved are also included. Both signs resemble the heads of animals. The pars pro toto was a frequently used resource for the written representation of animals.