The domestication of cows is estimated to date back to the Neolithic Period, which was over 10,000 years ago. This was the time when people started moving away from the nomadic lifestyle of hunting or gathering for food. Instead, they became more inclined towards settling down, planting crops, and domesticating animals for their meat, milk, and various byproducts. Cave drawings from the time and later also depicted cows or at least some sort of cattle being among humans, probably domesticated for its benefits. If we look at cows by the numbers today, they continue to give humans many byproducts, food items, and other useful things.

With the many advantages we get from cattle, it’s evident that this development was a useful one. Not only have cows been a major part of history and supported human survival through the ages, but they have also been revered as holy according to certain beliefs. The Middle Ages were not very kind to cows due to the plague, but they eventually recovered and reached new places in the world. With selective breeding, new and more productive breeds were created. The history of cows is an interesting one and worth pursuing, so let’s first have a look at a timeline detailing the important points throughout the ages: 

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