Mrs Sally Rodwell
Whittlesford - Cambridge - England

6-1-1984

Dear Mrs Rodwell,

A very pleasant surprise to receive your letter today as at the moment I’m working on section of my treatise The Origin, Evolution, History and Distribution of the Domestic Fowl  dealing with the recovery of chicken bone throughout the world.

The whole operation is going to be a long and tedious job as I’m getting toward 63 years of age and although retired from my normal work still have plenty to do apart from this writing.

The treatise will be in sections, not necessarily in the order that the title suggests, but hopefully will fit into place in the long term.

I have been researching and collecting material for some years now which being so far away from the action has proved quite a job. The matter of sorting and putting it into readable form is going to be quite a job too. However I intend to press on. I am sorry to hear of Dr Higg’s passing. I never did get a reply from him.

I found the copy of the letter I wrote to him, so as you have the letter, there is no need for repetition of what I said him.

What began my interest in the whole Origin etc etc bit was that I had decided to write a book on the Pekin Bantam fowl  as my son and I have been breeding them for some 18 years as so. When I started researching for it I found that one thing led to another, so I continued on with the overall research. It has proved very interesting thought frustrating at times and I have formed a few conclusions which could be right or wrong but at least may give someone more learned than myself some food for thought.

I have written and published a book entitled The Pekin Bantam in Australia , 187 pages quarto typescript and in it touched lightly on possibility of origins etc.

There is one bit that may be of interest to you on China. We had the Chinese Exhibition here in Australia a few years ago which I visited. On exhibition was a Celadon pot the spout of which formed a cock’s head. It was 4th century AD. With a paper I obtained it gave me a lead as to the possible beginnings of the Pekin Bantam in China.

Would you like a copy of this book for your personal library. If so I will send you a complimentary one.

The information contained in your letter is interesting and most helpful. I was aware of chicken bone recoveries from a neolithic site at Pan p’o near Sian in North China. Professor Stanley J. Olsen of the University of Arizona advised me of this fact. This was only a few years back. I have written to him only recently to see if anyone had done any study on the actual bone: should have an answer shortly.

Also Professor Higham of the University of Otago in New Zealand did work in the Sakon Nakhon Basin on NE Thailand at Ban Chiang chicken bone recovered there also. I have his paper on the proceedings. Would suggest you write and ask him for a copy if you do not already have it.

There was a thesis done by a Jenny Cane for a Masters degree at the University of Otago on the dating of chicken bone in the Pacific (I think) only a few years ago. However I believe she went to Canada. I haven’t been able to locate her but am still trying. Professor Higham says Ben Chiang recoveries around 3500 BC.

In my Pekin Bantam book I touch a lightly on these findings. The chicken bone section of the treatise I’m doing now is going into much more detail.

The whole problem appears to me to be that although this chicken bone is recovered nobody seems to attaches a great amount of importance to it. If an osteologist got hold of the bone and studied its construction from Finsterbusch’s findings of the differences between the runners (Malay or Gallus giganteus of Temminck) and the flyers, Gallus Bankiva , in the bone make up could be determined, which in turn would give us an idea of from what the fowls or their antecedents come from and as man took his domestic animals with him would help in determining the moment of civilisation which still appears clouded as far as can see.

Another instance is the chicken leg bone on Watom Island, New Britain, it was recovered by Dr Jim Specht of Australian Museum of Sydney who has tried to track it down for the last few years. Had a letter from him just before Christmas.

Finsterbusch was a Chilean who made a life study of Game Fowl and I feel put forward very logical arguments backed up by practical study on the difference of species. He suggested the Bankivoids and Malays were different species. He did not go into the Asiatics (Cochin, Brahma, Langshan) but I believe they were another species or may we call them subspecies. There are so many differences physically, anatomically, feather wire etc that I find it hard to believe they are just variation or ever mutation. They no doubt had a common extinct ancestor but went off in perhaps three different lines of descent.

I have great faith in Finsterbusch as he seems to have the positive approach to the subject. I also believe Thor Heyerdahl voyages proved a point that the diffusion of the chicken throughout the world could have been both east and west from Asia (India area). I did write to him a few years ago and he agreed with this but said we do not really have any positive evidence, which is quite true.

You have perhaps heard of the Araucana (Blue Egg chicken) of Chile. The blue egg trait has never been explained as to the origin of egg shell color. During my recent researches I found in Finsterbusch that Dutch pirates settled on the coast of Chile and imported cocks from Dutch East Indies (around early 1600’s, this comes from another source).

Now, Hutt (1949) in Genetics of the Fowl  found, Punnett also found that the traits of the pea comb and blue egg shell color are linked. The Dutch could have imported either Malays or more likely Aseels (which have a pea comb). These, crossed with the local chickens and a mutation occurred. The blue egg shell is a dominant trait. The Araucana area of Chile is considered to be the first area where blue eggs occurred.

The bone unearthed by Bullock on Mocha Island in this area in 1934 was a metatarsus of unusual robustness which suggests Aseel traits and was considered to be around 250 years old. It sort of fits in.

I received a letter the other day from Professor Carter of Texas A&M University who has done a lot of work on pre-Columbian Chickens in the Americas. He gave me a bit more info of recoveries of chicken bone in New Mexico but once again not enough detail.

Until we can get these fellows to really study the bones in detail it’s going to be a hard road.

Have rambled on more than somewhat but will be looking forward to getting a copy of your paper on the Transition to agricultural societies in early China  I guess it will be available through out National University of Canberra.

Now for some details of your request on the papers. First of all Finsterbusch’s Cock fighting all over the world  has been reprinted I believe (I have an original) and I think it was done by Spur Publications at the Idle Bradford but should be available from Veronica Mayhew, near Reading, telephone: Checkendon 0491-680743.

A paper that may be very useful to you is from Livestock of China  compiled by Ralph W.Phillips, Ray G.Johnson and Raymond T.Meyer (1945). This can be obtained from Dr William H.Longnecker, Technical Information Specialist, Dept. of Agriculture, Beltsville, Maryland, USA.

I tried to get hold of a copy of Zeuner but was unsuccessful. However will try through our Libraries. Have a contact with Head Librarian at Newcastle University about 15 miles from here. He has helped me previously.

Once again very pleased to hear from you and would like to keep in touch. I expect more info shortly as I am in the process of contacting my former informants of 3 or 4 years ago to ascertain whether anything new has turned up.

Following is a list of details of references you were interested in.

Sincerely yours,