Cats in the Kyivan Rus: where did they come from and how did they look like in the Middle Ages?

Abstract

The article provides information about cats in the Kyivan Rus based on archaeological and historical data. The modern domestic cat is not a descendant of the nominal subspecies of the European wildcat (Felis silvestris s. str.), but is genetically related to the African subspecies (Felis silvestris lybica). It began its journey into human homes somewhere in the Fertile Crescent. The first domestic cats appeared in Europe during the Neolithic period. In Ukraine, domestic cats were first recorded at Trypillian sites. The second wave of the appearance of domestic cats is linked to the Roman influence in the 1st to 4th centuries CE, while the third wave is associated with the Vikings, who brought cats back to their homes from long journeys starting in the 7th century CE. All periods of the domestic cat’s spread in Europe coincide with increased trading activity. For example, one of the earliest domestic cats in the Rus was found in a 10th-century burial at an Early Rus cemetery in Shestovytsia, a site associated with Scandinavians and revealing their distant contacts. Domestic cat remains are also found in 10th-century complexes in Kyiv, the capital of Rus, a city whose economic foundation was also trade. Later, in the 12th century, domestic cats became much more numerous, as evidenced by zooarchaeological materials from Vyshhorod, Zvenyhorod, Voyin, Ltava, Old Ryazan, Novgorod, and other locations. Modern research refutes the conventional belief that domestic cat bones are found mainly in cities. Evidence shows that domestic cats were also present at rural sites in the Kyiv district and Poltava region. In the Middle Ages, cats grew to quite large sizes, likely due to their living conditions in human homes, which provided more stable and higher-quality food. However, cats were not merely household pets; they were often kept near homes primarily for rodent control, as they predominantly consumed the rodents they caught. Notably, the spread of domestic cats in Europe during the Roman and Viking times coincided with the spread of the black rat. Additionally, cats were occasionally used for fur and leather, as indicated by archaeological finds in Scandinavia and northern Rus. In rare instances of famine, cats were also consumed.

Keywords

• domestic cat
• pets
• rodent hunting
• kyivan rus
• roman times
• viking age
• middle ages