Household Rituals and Sacrificial Donkeys: Why Are There So Many Domestic Donkeys Buried in an Early Bronze Age Neighborhood at Tell eṣ-Ṣâfi/Gath?

Greenfield, Haskel J.; Greenfield, Tina L.; Shai, Itzhaq; Albaz, Shira; Maeir, Aren M.

doi:10.5615/neareastarch.81.3.0202

Cited by 3 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 12 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In Stratum E5c, four donkey skeletons were found in buildings on either side of the narrow alleyway ( Figure 7 ) (Note: Donkeys 1–4 from Tell eṣ-Ṣâfi/Gath have been previously discussed in other publications (e.g., [ 103 , 104 ] These data are summarised and integrated here with previously unreported data on several of the other donkeys.). Donkey 1 (L114506) was found in a shallow pit below the floor of Courtyard 114503 of Building 13407 to the east of the alleyway (L20E93A02— Figure 18 ).…”

Section: Materials and Results—evidence For Ritual In The Eb At Tell ...mentioning

confidence: 75%

“…There are four in the earliest stratum (E5c) when the neighbourhood of buildings is constructed ( Figure 7 ). Subsequently, two additional burials were found within each of the strata (E5a and E5b) when the buildings were renovated ( Figure 5 and Figure 6 ) [ 103 , 104 ]. In every instance, there was no evidence of post-mortem disturbances or re-orientation of the skeleton, such as rodents, gnawing, weathering from re-exposure, burning, etc.…”

Section: Materials and Results—evidence For Ritual In The Eb At Tell ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This donkey burial is the clearest example of ritual internment [ 103 , 104 ]. The skeleton was carefully placed in the pit on its right side with the torso facing west (toward the setting sun); the front and hind legs were tied together (trussed) below the abdomen, and the upper neck (cervical) vertebra and cranium dismembered and placed on the abdomen facing east (toward the rising sun) ( Figure 19 ).…”

Section: Materials and Results—evidence For Ritual In The Eb At Tell ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The discovery of equid (asinine) burials with evidence for special treatment beneath the floor of houses is unusual but not without precedence, given the evidence for ritualised donkey sacrifice at other domestic and nondomestic sites in the southern Levant and Egypt during the 3rd and 2nd millennia BCE [ 97 , 98 , 99 , 103 , 104 , 130 , 131 , 132 , 133 , 134 , 135 ]. This location is usually reserved for sacred deposits.…”

Section: Discussion—why Bury a Domestic Ass Under Your Floor?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The asinine burials from Area E at Tell eṣ-Ṣâfi/Gath are usually buried under courtyards (except for an infant donkey buried from Stratum E5b buried in the corner of a room in a hearth after it has gone out of use—it is rapidly buried beneath the new floor of the room) [ 104 ]. This suggests purposeful selection for this location, which does not appear to be a coincidence.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Household Rituals and Merchant Caravanners: The Phenomenon of Early Bronze Age Donkey Burials from Tell eṣ-Ṣâfi/Gath, Israel

Greenfield

Ross

Greenfield

et al. 2022

Animals

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Most studies of ritual and symbolism in early complex societies of the Near East have focused on elite and/or public behavioural domains. However, the vast bulk of the population would not have been able to fully participate in such public displays. This paper explores the zooarchaeological and associated archaeological evidence for household rituals in lower-stratum residences in the Early Bronze Age (EB) of the southern Levant. Data from the EB III (c. 2850–2550 BCE) deposits excavated at the site of Tell eṣ-Ṣâfi/Gath, Israel, are illustrative of the difficulty in identifying the nature of household rituals. An integrated analytical approach to the architecture, figurines, foundation deposits, and domestic donkey burials found in lower-stratum domestic residences provides insights into the nature of household rituals. This integrated contextual perspective allows the sacred and symbolic role(s) of each to be understood and their importance for EB urban society to be evaluated.

show abstract

Section: Materials and Results—evidence For Ritual In The Eb At Tell ...mentioning

confidence: 75%

Section: Materials and Results—evidence For Ritual In The Eb At Tell ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Materials and Results—evidence For Ritual In The Eb At Tell ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussion—why Bury a Domestic Ass Under Your Floor?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Household Rituals and Merchant Caravanners: The Phenomenon of Early Bronze Age Donkey Burials from Tell eṣ-Ṣâfi/Gath, Israel

Greenfield

Ross

Greenfield

et al. 2022

Animals

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Agricultural subsistence, land use and long-distance mobility within the Early Bronze Age southern Levant: Archaeobotanical evidence from the urban site of Tell eṣ-Ṣâfī/Gath

Frumin

Melamed

Maeir

et al. 2021

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Origin, Evolution, and Research Development of Donkeys

Wang

Hua

Shi

et al. 2022

Genes

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Lack of archaeological and whole-genome diversity data has restricted current knowledge of the evolutionary history of donkeys. With the advancement of science and technology, the discovery of archaeological evidence, the development of molecular genetics, and the improvement of whole-genome sequencing technology, the in-depth understanding of the origin and domestication of donkeys has been enhanced, however. Given the lack of systematic research, the present study carefully screened and collected multiple academic papers and books, journals, and literature on donkeys over the past 15 years. The origin and domestication of donkeys are reviewed in this paper from the aspects of basic information, cultural origin, bioarcheology, mitochondrial and chromosomal microsatellite sequences, and whole-genome sequence comparison. It also highlights and reviews genome assembly technology, by assembling the genome of an individual organism and comparing it with related sample genomes, which can be used to produce more accurate results through big data statistics, analysis, and computational correlation models. Background: The donkey industry in the world and especially in China is developing rapidly, and donkey farming is transforming gradually from the family farming model to large-scale, intensive, and integrated industrial operations, which could ensure the stability of product quality and quantity. However, theoretical research on donkey breeding and its technical development lags far behind that of other livestock, thereby limiting its industrial development. This review provides holistic information for the donkey industry and researchers, that could promote theoretical research, genomic selection (GS), and reproductive management of the donkey population.

show abstract

Household Rituals and Sacrificial Donkeys: Why Are There So Many Domestic Donkeys Buried in an Early Bronze Age Neighborhood at Tell eṣ-Ṣâfi/Gath?

Cited by 3 publications

References 12 publications

Household Rituals and Merchant Caravanners: The Phenomenon of Early Bronze Age Donkey Burials from Tell eṣ-Ṣâfi/Gath, Israel

Household Rituals and Merchant Caravanners: The Phenomenon of Early Bronze Age Donkey Burials from Tell eṣ-Ṣâfi/Gath, Israel

Agricultural subsistence, land use and long-distance mobility within the Early Bronze Age southern Levant: Archaeobotanical evidence from the urban site of Tell eṣ-Ṣâfī/Gath

Origin, Evolution, and Research Development of Donkeys

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About