Feasting on Wild Boar in the Early Neolithic. Evidence from an 11,400-year-old Placed Deposit at Tappeh Asiab, Central Zagros

Abstract

The contents of a pit located in the centre of a large communal structure at Asiab in the central Zagros mountains provides rare evidence for ritual food practices during the Early Neolithic (~9660–9300 cal.bc). This pit contained the skulls of at least 19 wild boars carefully placed inside and subsequently sealed. Antler from red deer and the skull of a brown bear were also concealed within the pit. The boars included both male and female animals varying in age and some of the larger canines were deliberately removed. Such a unique collection of remains is unlikely to be the result of day-to-day activities; instead, this represents a group of ritually interred bones. This new evidence strengthens views that activities reinforcing social cohesion were important as human society was approaching a juncture leading towards agricultural subsistence strategies.

The Formation of Early Neolithic Communities in the Central Zagros: An 11,500 Year‐old Communal Structure at Asiab

“…Furthermore, the meat resulting from the capture of so many wild boar would have supplied a large amount of food for a considerable number of people (Bangsgaard et al . 2019).…”

“…7; Bangsgaard et al . 2019). The skull of a brown bear ( Ursus arctos ) had been placed centrally underneath the boar remains in the pit.…”

“…This tightly packed deposit of neatly aligned wild boar and brown bear remains was interpreted as a placed deposit, the details of which were published elsewhere (Bangsgaard et al . 2019). Similar placed deposits are known from other early Neolithic sites, including a pit containing the remains of 15 wild goat skulls and many birds of prey from Zawi Chemi Shanidar, and a pit with more than 100 vulture wings from Shanidar B1 (Solecki 1977; Solecki and McGovern 1980).…”

“…Eight new samples of charred plant remains recovered during the 2016 excavation were processed at the Aarhus University Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Centre (Bangsgaard et al . 2019). The position of each sample was recorded with high precision using a total station.…”

Retrieving, Curating and Depositing Skulls at Pitted Ware culture Sites

“…Bird-David 1992;Ingold 2000:67;Hill 2013;Willerslev et al 2015). There are numerous archaeological finds as well as ethnographic accounts suggesting that animals could affect the lives of humans through their remains, most prominently through their skulls (Masuda et al 2006;Germonpré & Hämäläinen 2007;McNiven 2010McNiven , 2013Losey et al 2013;Willerslev 2013;Bansgaard et al 2019). The heads or the defleshed crania of the primary prey or other important animals are frequently given the greatest concern and deposited in designated areas shielded from dogs or other scavengers (Willerslev 2013;McNiven 2013).…”