Did you hear about the amazing discovery in Utah's Uinta Mountains? Researchers found a nearly 14,000-year-old fox skull in a cave, revealing secrets about Ice Age ecosystems and the tenacity of these clever creatures. This discovery shines a light on how foxes adapted to survive in challenging climates—proving they've always been expert survivors.
The recent study by Dr. Shirad Galmor and colleagues sheds light on the often overlooked role small carnivores, such as red foxes and wildcats, played in the diets of hunter-gatherer societies in the southern Levant. The study, published in Environmental Archaeology, focuses on the Early Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (EPPNB) site of Ahihud in Israel, offering new insights into the transition from hunting to farming during the Neolithic Revolution.
A Closer Look at Ahihud and Its Unique Findings
Occupied roughly between 10,500 and 10,100 years ago, the site of Aḥihud provides valuable clues about the behaviors of the people living during a significant period of transition. As the Neolithic Revolution slowly unfolded, human societies were increasingly focusing on small game, such as gazelles, and small carnivores like red foxes and wildcats.
However, what makes the findings from Ahihud stand out is the unexpectedly large number of small carnivore remains discovered among the 1,244 identified animal bone fragments. These included remains from red foxes, wildcats, European badgers, Egyptian mongooses, beech martens, and various mustelids, such as weasels.
Foxes and Wildcats: More Than Just Fur
Dr. Galmor’s study delves into the remains of these small carnivores, using a traditional taphonomic approach to study the bones for signs of butchering or skinning.
"Taphonomy" refers to the study of what happens to organisms after they die and before they are discovered as fossils. It involves examining the processes that affect organic remains over time, such as decay, scavenging, weathering, and how the remains are preserved. In this context, when researchers use a "taphonomic approach," they are looking closely at animal bones to determine how they were processed—whether they were cut, burned, or otherwise altered—during the time they were part of the food chain or handled by humans. Essentially, it helps researchers understand how animals were treated, whether they were eaten, used for tools, or simply discarded.
The results were surprising: over 12% of fox bones and 19% of wildcat bones showed clear evidence of cut marks, indicating that they were not just hunted for fur, but also for their meat. This is much higher than the cut mark frequency found in game animals like gazelles (4.8%) and cape hares (1.5%).
Additionally, burn marks on the bones suggest that the inhabitants of Ahihud were cooking and consuming these small carnivores.
A New Perspective on Early Neolithic Diets
The significant number of small carnivore remains found at Ahihud challenges the previous assumption that such animals were primarily hunted for their fur. Instead, this study provides strong evidence that foxes and wildcats were an important part of the diet of early Neolithic communities. The shift towards hunting small carnivores might reflect an evolving understanding of the role of animals in these societies, emphasizing the value of both their meat and fur.
This research raises important questions about the role of small carnivores in other sites in the Levant during this transitional period. Until now, these remains have been largely ignored or dismissed as by-products of fur hunting, but new research, such as this study, suggests that these animals were vital to the survival and development of ancient communities.
Summary
The discovery of small carnivores in early Neolithic sites comes as no surprise to us here at the Fox Forum, offering a fascinating glimpse into the complex relationships between humans and wildlife thousands of years ago and confirming our own suspicions. These findings are a reminder that even the smallest creatures, like the red fox, played a significant role in the lives of hunter-gatherer societies and have much more to tell us about the origins of human civilization.
The study of small carnivores in ancient diets is only just beginning, and who knows what other surprising discoveries lie hidden in the bones of animals long forgotten.
Sources:
