Cattle Domestication and pastoralism in the African Sahel

Breeding of domesticated animals was one of the most important events which led to a significant progress in the history of mankind. Domestication appeared in several places simultaneously and inhabitants of these areas gained a considerable advantage in comparison with their hunters- gatherers ancestors. Fertile Crescent in the Near East, where many useful animals were domesticated, cattle included, was most important of them. In sub-Saharan territory gradual introduction of pastoral farming was limited for example by incidence of serious diseases in certain areas. In addition, Sahara, which in the past used to be a very favourable pastoral territory, in the progress of time started to change into despairing desert and the onset of devastating drought forced local inhabitants to move to the area of Sahel and to engage with cattle breeding. Due to the reduction of other natural sources local inhabitants had to draw attention to milk production which became an important source of food. Some of them have not left this life strategy up to the present time