THE 2-HUMPED CAMEL (CAMELUS-BACTRIANUS) - NEW LIGHT ON ITS DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT AND MEDICAL-TREATMENT IN THE PAST

Eastern and north-eastern Iran and the adjacent Kopet Dagh foothills i n south-western Turkmenistan have been postulated to be the region whe re the domestication of the two-humped camel took place. However, none of the evidence so far brought forward for in situ domestication in t his area holds up to closer scrutiny. Moreover, the postpleistocene di stribution of the wild camel (Camelus ferus) did nor include Central A sia. Consequently, we claim that the region where the two-humped camel was domesticated must lie further to the east. Among the peoples with a long-standing tradition in camel husbandry are the Chinese, as is i llustrated by the antiquity of the texts on camel diseases and their t reatment. In this contribution, the oldest camel treatise handed down in literature is presented and discussed.