Provisioning the Ritual Neolithic Site of Kfar HaHoresh, Israel at the Dawn of Animal Management

Abstract

It is widely agreed that a pivotal shift from wild animal hunting to herd animal management, at least of goats, began in the southern Levant by the Middle Pre-Pottery Neolithic B period (10,000–9,500 cal. BP) when evidence of ritual activities flourished in the region. As our knowledge of this critical change grows, sites that represent different functions and multiple time periods are needed to refine the timing, pace and character of changing human-animal relationships within the geographically variable southern Levant. In particular, we investigate how a ritual site was provisioned with animals at the time when herd management first began in the region. We utilize fauna from the 2010–2012 excavations at the mortuary site of Kfar HaHoresh—the longest continuous Pre-Pottery Neolithic B faunal sequence in the south Levantine Mediterranean Hills (Early–Late periods, 10,600–8,700 cal. BP). We investigate the trade-off between wild and domestic progenitor taxa and classic demographic indicators of management to detect changes in hunted animal selection and control over herd animal movement and reproduction. We find that ungulate selection at Kfar HaHoresh differs from neighboring sites, although changes in dietary breadth, herd demographics and body-size data fit the regional pattern of emerging management. Notably, wild ungulates including aurochs and gazelle are preferentially selected to provision Kfar HaHoresh in the PPNB, despite evidence that goat management was underway in the Mediterranean Hills. The preference for wild animals at this important site likely reflects their symbolic significance in ritual and mortuary practice.

The Emergence of Animal Management in the Southern Levant

“…Interestingly, goat mortality data from MPPNB Abu Gosh (not included in this study), suggests a managed population as only 31% of the herd survived beyond 39 months of age 50 . Mortality patterns similar to those of Abu Gosh occur only later in our study sites—in the LPPNB at Kfar haHoresh when only 32% of goats survived beyond 48 months of age 40 , and during the Final PPNB/PPNC at Yiftah’el when only 33% of the goats lived past 42 months of age 13 . Nevertheless, the average body-size of the goat populations during the MPPNB at Kfar haHoresh and at Yiftah’el is significantly smaller than the goat population from EPPNB Motza (t = −2.647, df = 17, p = 0.007; t = 4.336, df = 26, p < 0.001 respectively based on LSI analysis 39 , 40 ).…”

“…Mortality and body-size results for goat, cattle and pig from the Mediterranean Hill zone are only summarized here (see original results in 39 – 41 ). Goat mortality data show that even by the MPPNB at Kfar haHoresh, high proportions of animals survived into adulthood (75% to 48 months of age 40 , and nearly as many were adults at Yiftah’el (62% survived beyond 36 months 39 ). The results indicate that these herds were not selectively culled to optimize meat or milk production.…”

“…Juveniles of both species show high rates of survivorship in the MPPNB. About 80% of cattle survived beyond 36 months at Yiftah’el 39 and 66% beyond 48 months at Kfar haHoresh 40 . Seventy-five percent of the pigs lived past 24 months of age at Yiftah’el.…”

Aurochs bone deposits at Kfar HaHoresh and the southern Levant across the agricultural transition

“…In the southern Levant, however, demographic, body-size and morphological data indicate that cattle management began later during the PPNC to Pottery Neolithic periods, or in subsequent periods (Marom & Bar-Oz 2013). A previous study on Kfar HaHoresh confirms that the cattle remains derive from wild aurochs throughout the PPNB; Bos body size and mortality profiles reveal large animals within the aurochs body-size range and prime-dominated age profiles (Meier et al 2016).…”

The role of wild terrestrial animals in late prehistoric societies of south‐eastern Arabia: new insights from Saruq al‐Hadid

“…Brittain & Overton, ), as has the ritualistic and social importance of wild animals in early Neolithic societies (e.g. Hodder, : 155; Meier, Goring‐Morris & Munro, ). It should be noted here that “hunting” is a semantically complex term that, in some societies, carries with it connotations beyond simply the killing of wild animals by humans (e.g.…”