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Cavemen used plants and meat in RITUALS
Cavemen used plants and meat in RITUALS: Grasses and gazelle meat were eaten and left as offerings to the dead when they were buried
- Complex rituals involved giving food and flowers to the deceased's family
- Food offerings included gazelle meat as well as process grains
- The discovery was made during excavations of the Raqefet Cave in Israel
- Researchers found saliva and mint under skeletons in four separate graves
Cavemen in Israel buried their dead with complex rituals that involved food offerings to their friends and families, as well as flowers.
The earliest evidence of humans burying their dead with plants - dating back 13,700 years - was discovered last summer in a Raqefet Cave, Mount Carmel, Israel.
Now archaeologists digging in the same region have found further evidence suggesting these rituals were even more elaborate than first thought, and included exotic gazelle meat as well as processed grains used for a final meal to honour the dead.
Researchers from Israel found saliva and mint under human skeletons in four separate graves at the Raqefet cave, pictured. The skeletons date back 13,700 years to the Natufian period. Some plants were buried with the dead, while others were eaten as final meals at the burial
Researchers from the University of Hafia, Israel, found multiple impressions of saliva and mint under human skeletons in four separate graves dating from the Natufian period – between 13,700 and 11,700 years ago, Haaretz reported.
Professor Dani Nadel from the university believes the use of plants in the cave extended beyond burying them with the dead and that people ate final meals at the burial too.
The people living in the Raqefet caves belonged to the Natufian culture, believed to be among the first groups of humans to settle in permanent locations, instead of travelling around.BURYING FLOWERS WITH THE DEAD
The earliest evidence of humans burying their dead with flowers, some 13,700 years ago, was discovered in the same location as the recent findings, at Mount Carmel, last summer.
In modern times the tradition is used as a sign of respect or remembrance, but it is believed to have started thousands of years ago to disguise the stench of the rotting corpse.
It was also hoped the scent of the plants would stop animals being attracted to the grave to dig up the body.
Researchers found sage, mint and other plants buried with the skeletons.
The latest findings suggest this ritual may have been more complex than first thought and some of these plants were eaten in honour of the dead.
Archaeologists also believe Carmel cavemen were the first to bury their dead in graveyards over generations, based on their find of 29 skeletons discovered in the cave between 2004 and 2011.
They also discovered 100 small nooks carved into the walls of the cave to hold bowls and mortars, which they said were used for grinding grains.
The earliest evidence of humans burying their dead with flowers, 13,700 years ago, was discovered in the same location at Mount Carmel last summer. Researchers found sage, mint (pictured) and other plants buried with the skeletons. The latest findings suggest this ritual may have been more complex than first thought
Archaeologists claim the food offerings included exotic gazelle meat, as well as processed grains such as wheat husk, pictured right, and grass, pictured left. The team found more grasses in the cave than any other plant and think cavemen ate wheat and barley, as well as smaller-seeded grasses not commonly eaten today
They came to this conclusion by examining phytolith samples taken from the graves as well as the mortar, the study published in the Journal of Anthropological Archaeology explained.
The entrance to the Natufian-era burial cave in Israel
Phytoliths are microscopic particles made by plants that last long after the plant itself has rotted away and enable scientists to identify the different herbs and plants eaten by the cavemen.
Archaeologists found more grasses in the cave than any other plant and think that the cavemen ate wheat and barley, as well as smaller-seeded grasses that are not commonly eaten today.
Professor Nadel believes phytoliths discovered near the abdomen of two of the skeletons reveal that a food offering was made to the dead.
They also think that the small seeded grasses were served as a final meal inside the cave.
The theory that a last meal was offered to the dead was bolstered by the discovery of traces of gazelle meat in the cave.
It is believed the cavemen held wakes with animal meat after burying their relatives.
The archaeologists also think other rituals to mark the passing of people took place as stone slabs were placed at the head of the grave, while horizontal stones were also sometimes placed across the buried bodies, which were also buried with flowers.
Scientists are continuing to build up a better picture of how ancient people living 13,000-years-ago honoured their dead with rituals that live on in altered forms today.
The people living in the Raqefet caves, also spelt Rakefet, marked at A, belonged to the Natufian culture, which are thought to be among the first groups of humans to settle in permanent locations, instead of travelling around
Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencete...ad-buried.html
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Originally Posted by Jaxman
Zimbabwe
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