Meat outside the freezer: Drying, smoking, salting and sealing meat in fat at an Epipalaeolithic megasite in eastern Jordan

Abstract

Even though pivotal for understanding many aspects of human behaviour, preservation and storage of animal resources has not received great attention from archaeologists. One could argue that the main problem lies in the difficulties of demonstrating meat storage archaeologically due to the lack of direct evidence. This paper represents an attempt to refine zooarchaeological methods for the recognition of meat preservation and storage at prehistoric sites. Drawing on the faunal assemblage from Kharaneh IV, an Early/Middle Epipalaeolithic aggregation site in eastern Jordan, this study demonstrates that a combination of taphonomic and contextual analyses alongside ethnographic information may indeed lead archaeologists to insights not directly available from the archaeological record. The empirical evidence presented here contributes to the archaeological visibility of meat preservation and storage, providing a clearer concept of the nature of these practices in preagricultural societies.

Abundance or stress? Faunal exploitation patterns and subsistence strategies: The case study of Brush Hut 1 at Ohalo II, a submerged 23,000-year-old camp in the Sea of Galilee, Israel

“…Bone fragment sizes of both gazelle and fallow deer are remarkably homogeneous (S3 and S4 Figs in S1 File ), suggesting that breakage was consistent. Preservation and/or storage of meat may also play a role in skeletal element representation [ 101 ]. Vertebrae, ribs, scapulae and pelves may be part of a butchery package ideal for drying and smoking meat, as the flesh is relatively thin in these areas [ 102 ].…”

“…The presence of gazelle fetal bones, and an indoor hearth suggest a winter occupation on Floor III. The relatively high percentage of fragmentation that was observed in the NISP:MNE ratio of bones on Floor III may be attributed to trampling or to intensive processing of bone for marrow and grease extraction [ 101 , 119 ]. The discrepancy between tooth microwear and mesowear results and the low variability in the number of scratches on teeth, both indicate a short-term seasonal signal; i.e.…”

Leaving home: Technological and landscape knowledge as resilience at pre-Holocene Kharaneh IV, Azraq Basin, Jordan

“…Faunal remains of gazelle associated with clusters of small post-holes surrounding hearths are interpreted as the remains of racks that were used to dry and smoke meat over the fire (Spyrou et al, 2019). The mortality profiles of gazelle in these contexts and the scale at which processing occurred also suggests that hunting and food processing was likely a communal activity (Maher et al, 2016;Martin et al, 2010;Spyrou et al, 2019). The preservation of meat is an important risk mitigation strategy that would allow communities to pack food, knowing that they would have a reliable source of protein if game was uncertain in new environmental contexts (Rowley-Conwy and Zvelebil, 1989).…”

“…A series of small post-holes were discovered circling two hearths – postholes that are too small to support an architectural structure. Due to the postholes’ proximity to heaths, we interpret these be the remains of meat drying racks used to smoke meat over the fire (Spyrou et al, 2019). The preservation of meat would allow communities to pack food for travel across the landscape, bringing with them a reliable source of protein as they moved.…”

Framework to Assess Eco-Efficiency Improvement: Case Study of a Meat Production Industry

“…2, the flowsheets for the whole processes involved in for instance in a slaughterhouse and a meat production plant are presented. In Table 1, the processes requirements of heat and cold energy are characterised considering the data and aspects described by Burton and Tinker (2008), Spyrou et al (2019), Swart et al (2003) and Zhang et al (2019).…”