ABSTRACT
There are three main types ofmodem domestic cattle, of which two have specific status: non-humped, taurine cattle (Bos taurus) in Europe and north Africa, and humped cattle or zebu (Bos indicus) in India, the Far East and parts of Africa. The third type, the Sanga cattle of Africa, which are often classified as Bos taurus x Bos indicus, are actually of unknown affinity and origin and of uncertain taxonomic status; it is a suggestion of the present paper that Sanga cattle are of very ancient African origin and of equal status to Bos taurus and Bos indicus (see also Grigson 1991). As all three types ofcattle are found in countries bordering the Indian Ocean, it would be interesting to know if archaeology can shed any light on the status and likely place and date oforigin ofeach. Unfortunately there is a dearth of information about the early history of cattle in South-East Asia, so the present work is confined to countries bordering, or close to, the Arabian Sea. It is necessary to begin by describing the main features of the two species ofdomestic cattle; Sanga cattle are discussed in the section on Africa.
