Chickens ‘buried with humans and venerated for centuries’

Academics detail ‘far more complex’ relationship with animals than in present day, Zoe Tidman reports

Researchers have found evidence that chickens were initially regarded as exotica (Chris Radburn/PA) (PA)

Chickens were buried with humans and spent centuries being venerated before they started to be eaten, researchers have found.

A major international study has looked into the history of the animals and how they spread across the world.

It dismissed previous ideas chickens were domesticated up to 10,000 years ago in China, Southeast Asia or India and present in Europe over 7,000 years ago.