Domestic animals have lived with humans for thousands of years and remain essential to the everyday lives of people throughout the world. In this book, Natasha Fijn examines the process of animal domestication in a study that blends biological and social anthropology, ethology and ethnography. She examines the social behavior of humans and animals in a contemporary Mongolian herding society. After living with Mongolian herding families, Dr Fijn has observed through firsthand experience both sides of the human-animal relationship. Examining their reciprocal social behavior and communication with one another, she demonstrates how herd animals influence Mongolian herders' lives and how the animals themselves are active partners in the domestication process.
Author(s): Natasha Fijn
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Year: 2011
Language: English
Pages: 301
City: Cambridge
COVER
HALF-TITLE
TITLE
COPYRIGHT
CONTENTS
LISTS OF PLATES, FIGURES, MAPS, TABLES, AND ONLINE VIDEO SEGMENTS
GLOSSARY
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
LIVINGWITH HERDS
SPRING
PART ONE: CROSSING BOUNDARIES
PROLOGUE: LIFE IN THE KHANGAI MOUNTAINS
FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF MONGOLIA
BULGAN FIELD SITE: DOGSOMJAV’S ENCAMPMENT
ARKHANGAI FIELD SITE: CHOIJO’S ENCAMPMENT
1 INTRODUCTION
PART I. REDEFINING DOMESTICATION
ORIGIN THEORIES
UNGULATES IN MONGOLIA
Mongolian Horses
Mongolian Cattle
Mongolian Sheep and Goats
PART II. INNER ASIAN NOMADS
MONGOLIAN ATTITUDES TOWARDS HERD ANIMALS
CONCLUSION
2 AMONGOLIAN ETHO-ETHNOGRAPHY
INTRODUCTION
Significant Others
PERSPECTIVES ON THE DOMESTIC ANIMAL
INGOLD’S PERCEPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT
TRUST AND DOMINATION
CONCLUSION
SUMMER
PART TWO: THE SOCIAL HERD
3 SOCIAL SPHERES
INTRODUCTION
PART I. THE SOCIAL LANDSCAPE
Perceptions of a Landscape
The Core of the Co-Domestic Sphere
THE LANDSCAPE OF THEWINTER ENCAMPMENT
THE LANDSCAPE OF THE SUMMER ENCAMPMENT
PART II. THE SOCIAL ANIMAL
THE SOCIAL MONGOLIAN HORSE
Social Structure of the Mongolian Horse
The Character of the Mongolian Stallion
Learning Herd Behaviour
THE SOCIAL MONGOLIAN COW
Social Structure of Mongolian Cattle
The Character of the Mongolian Bull
Bulls (bukh) and Mongolian Wrestling (bokh)
THE SOCIAL MONGOLIAN SHEEP AND GOAT
Multilevel, Cross-Species Herds
TheHerder of Males
Social Structure of the Mongolian Sheep and Goat Herd
CONCLUSION
4 NAMES, SYMBOLS, COLOURS, AND BREEDING
INTRODUCTION
PART I. BREEDING
MONGOLIAN BREEDS
The Father of the Herd
CASTRATION
CROSS-BRED COWS
SELECTION
PART II. NOMENCLATURE
THE USE OF SYMBOLS
INDIVIDUAL IDENTIFICATION
Sheep and Goats
Cattle
Horses
Humans
ANIMALS AS PERSONS
CONCLUSION
5 MULTISPECIES ENCULTURATION
INTRODUCTION
MEANS OF COMMUNICATION
THE EMOTIVE USE OF SONG
HERDING LANGUAGE
COMMUNICATING WITH INDIVIDUALS
THE EMBODIMENT OF HORSE AND RIDER
Horse Gaits
CONCLUSION
6 TAMENESS AND CONTROL
INTRODUCTION
PART I. TAMENESS
LEADERS AND ORPHANS
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF MILK
Surrogate Mothers
FOOD INCENTIVES
HABITUATION TO HANDLING
PART II. CONTROL
CONTAINMENT
DOMINANCE AND HIERARCHY
TRAINING
Ox Carts
Breaking in Horses
PUNISHMENT
CONCLUSION
PART THREE: LIVING WITH HERDS
7 IN THE LAND OF THE HORSE
INTRODUCTION
PART I. THE HORSE IN MONGOLIA’S PAST
THE MONGOLIAN HORSE AS CONQUERER
HORSE CULTURE
PART II. THE NAADAM
SELECTION
The Astrological Wheel
TRAINING AND RACE PREPARATION
THE RACE
THE PRAISE CEREMONY
CONCLUSION
8 THE CYCLE OF LIFE: BIRTH TO DEATH, SPRING TOWINTER
INTRODUCTION
SPRING ACTIVITY
Haircutting and Combing
Moving to Different Pastures
SUMMER ACTIVITY
ASummer’s Day in the Life of Saikhanaa
Moving to a New Encampment
AUTUMN ACTIVITY
WINTER ACTIVITY
CONCLUSION
9 THE DOMESTIC AND THEWILD
INTRODUCTION
Categorisation of the Wild and the Domestic
ANIMALS AND PLANTS BEYOND THE DOMESTIC SPHERE
THEWOLF AND THE DOG
The Mongolian Wolf
The Mongolian Dog
TREATMENT OF ILLNESSES AND AILMENTS
MEDICINAL PLANTS AND MAGIC MEDICINE
CONCLUSION
10 THE SACRED ANIMAL
INTRODUCTION
THE MONGOLIAN CALENDAR
DEATH OF AN ANIMAL
THE SETER AS PROTECTOR
The Animism of Objects
CONCLUSION
WINTER
CONCLUSION
EPILOGUE
APPENDIX
REFERENCES
INDEX
