HAIFA, ISRAEL—Thousands of animal bones, including bones of birds, tortoises, gazelles, wild boars, the common hare, and stone martens, have been discovered alongside human remains in a cave where Natufian hunter-gatherers buried their dead between 13,000 and 12,000 years ago. Dani Nadel of Haifa University and members of an international team of researchers think that the animal bones, which bear signs of butchery, are evidence of communal meals held at the graves. “The untypical and meticulous gathering of the leftover bones indicates that it had some significance after the meal was over, possibly of stashing it with the deceased,” said Reuven Yeshurun, also of the University of Haifa.
Evidence of Ritual Meals Unearthed at Carmel Caves
News November 18, 2013
Recommended Articles
Off the Grid May/June 2025
Bulow Plantation Ruins, Florida

Features May/June 2025
Lost City of the Samurai
Archaeologists rediscover Ichijodani, a formidable stronghold that flourished amid medieval Japan’s brutal power struggles



-
Features September/October 2013
Tomb of the Vulture Lord
A king’s burial reveals a pivotal moment in Maya history
(© Kenneth Garrett) -
Letter from Norway September/October 2013
The Big Melt
The race to find, and save, ancient artifacts emerging from glaciers and ice patches in a warming world
Courtesy Oppland County Council, Photo: Johan Wildhagen/Palookaville -
Artifacts September/October 2013
Roman Writing Tablet
A tablet bearing a birthday party invite includes the earliest Latin script penned by a woman
(© The Trustees of the British Museum/Art Resource, NY) -
Digs & Discoveries September/October 2013
No Changeups on the Savannah
(Private Collection/J.T. Vintage/The Bridgeman Art Library, Werner Forman/Art Resource, NY, Pat Benic/Copyright Bettmann/Corbis/AP Images)