A new study published in Antiquity on May 21, 2026, reveals pigeons were domesticated around 3,500 years ago, pushing back the timeline by about 1,000 years [1]. Researchers analyzed 159 ancient pigeon bones from the Hala Sultan Tekke archaeological site in Cyprus, dated to the 13th-14th centuries BC, finding signs of close domestication through isotopic analysis [1, 2].

Bioarchaeologist Ms Anderson Carter of the University of Groningen explained, "The Hala Sultan Tekke pigeons overlapped pretty significantly with the results from humans from other Bronze Age Cypriot sites, showing that they likely ate a very similar diet to humans," which indicates a domesticated relationship [1]. Pigeons served many roles for ancient societies, providing meat, acting as messengers, supplying fertilizer, and holding religious significance [1, 2].

Pigeons played key roles in communication and warfare until the 19th century when technologies like the telegraph and telephone replaced them. "They were still being used to carry messages and even had an important role in wars in particular, but then a lot of technological advancements happened," Carter said [1].

After the industrial revolution, attitudes shifted as urbanization grew. Pigeons became seen as disease-spreading pests, and cities introduced architectural features to deter them [1, 2]. Despite this, today's city pigeons descend from wild rock doves originally found in the Mediterranean and Middle East, shaped by thousands of years of human conditioning to live nearby. "Because we had spent thousands of years conditioning them to live alongside us, the birds stayed nearby," Carter noted [1].

Ms Carter added, "Humans forgetting about pigeons happened relatively recently in human history," underscoring the long-standing relationship between people and these birds [1].

The discovery also clarifies the historic roles pigeons played beyond being urban wildlife. The research broadens understanding of human-animal interactions in the Bronze Age and provides insights into the persistence of pigeons in modern cities.

The study sets a new benchmark for the timeline of pigeon domestication and expands the known history of human-animal partnerships.