Drawing on recent archeological discoveries, this book explores the prehistoric origins of animal domestication and our millennia-old bond with these companions.

Animal domestication was not the result of a deliberate human decision, but rather a slow and complex process that took place over centuries. Based on recent bioarcheological research, the author reveals how prehistoric humans and animals unconsciously co-constructed a shared society. Dogs, cats, cattle, llamas, horses, chickens, fish, and insects are the protagonists here. In the face of today’s ecological, health, and ethical challenges, this scientific narrative, built on hypotheses, discoveries, and re-examinations, invites us to reconsider our responsibility toward these companions.