Articulated tortoise carapaces are under excavation in the grave of a unique woman in Structure A interpreted as a shaman at Hilazon Tachtit Cave, Israel.
Credit: Natalie Munro
A structure at Hilazon Tachtit Cave, Israel, contained the remains from at least three aurochs (wild cattle) that were consumed by humans as part of a feast.
Credit: Naftali Hilger
WASHINGTON: Evidence at an ancient burial site in Israel shows that community feasts were probably a common occurrence among early humans, possibly even predating the advent of agriculture, according to a recent study.
"Scientists have speculated that feasting began before the Neolithic period, which starts about 11.5 thousand years ago," said Natalie Munro of the University of Connecticut, who wrote the article which appears in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
"This is the first solid evidence that supports the idea that communal feasts were already occurring - perhaps with some frequency - at the beginnings of the transition to agriculture," Munro said.
A feast of tortoises
The archaeological evidence was unearthed at Hilazon Tachtit Cave - a burial site in the Galilee region of northern Israel - where Munro and scientists from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem uncovered the remains of at least 71 tortoises and three wild cattle in two specifically crafted hollows.
The tortoise shells and cattle bones showed evidence of having been cooked and torn apart, indicating that the animals had been butchered for human consumption.
Munro said two hollows appeared to have been constructed specifically for the purpose of a ritual human burial and related feasting activities, and that the tortoise shells were situated on and near the remains of a ritually-buried shaman.
Meat from the discarded tortoise shells could have fed about 35 people, Munro said.
The social glue of early civilisation
The find, she said, underscores the significance of feasting as an important social glue among early man, and said it probably was even an important development in the furtherance of human civilisation.
"A major reason why humans began feasting - and later began to cultivate their own foods - is because faster human population growth had begun to crowd their landscape," said Munro.
"People were coming into contact with each other a lot, and that can create friction. Before, they could get up and leave when they had problems with the neighbors," she said.
"These public events served as community-building opportunities, which helped to relieve tensions and solidify social relationships," said Munro.
