A Unique Human-Fox Burial from a Pre-Natufian Cemetery in the Levant (Jordan)

Maher, Lisa A. and Stock, Jay T. and Finney, Sarah and Heywood, James J. N. and Miracle, Preston T. and Banning, Edward B. (2011) A Unique Human-Fox Burial from a Pre-Natufian Cemetery in the Levant (Jordan). PLoS ONE, 6 (1). e15815. DOI https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0015815

Preview

PDF journal.pone.0015815.pdf Available under License Creative Commons Attribution. Download (3MB) | Preview

Abstract

New human burials from northern Jordan provide important insights into the appearance of cemeteries and the nature of human-animal relationships within mortuary contexts during the Epipalaeolithic period (c. 23,000–11,600 cal BP) in the Levant, reinforcing a socio-ideological relationship that goes beyond predator-prey. Previous work suggests that archaeological features indicative of social complexity occur suddenly during the latest Epipalaeolithic phase, the Natufian (c. 14,500–11,600 cal BP). These features include sedentism, cemeteries, architecture, food production, including animal domestication, and burials with elaborate mortuary treatments. Our findings from the pre-Natufian (Middle Epipalaeolithic) cemetery of ‘Uyun al-Hammam demonstrate that joint human-animal mortuary practices appear earlier in the Epipalaeolithic. We describe the earliest human-fox burial in the Near East, where the remains of dogs have been found associated with human burials at a number of Natufian sites. This is the first time that a fox has been documented in association with human interments pre-dating the Natufian and with a particular suite of grave goods. Analysis of the human and animal bones and their associated artefacts provides critical data on the nature and timing of these newly-developing relationships between people and animals prior to the appearance of domesticated dogs in the Natufian.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	2011AREP; IA63;
Subjects:	04 - Palaeobiology 99 - Other
Divisions:	99 - Other
Journal or Publication Title:	PLoS ONE
Volume:	6
Page Range:	e15815
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0015815
Depositing User:	Sarah Humbert
Date Deposited:	08 Mar 2012 10:34
Last Modified:	23 Jul 2013 10:03
URI:	http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/id/eprint/2398

Actions (login required)

View Item