LBV talked about the nutrition of the Neolithic peoples of Arabia 7 thousand years ago

A team of researchers from the Archaeological Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague has discovered an ancient megalithic collective burial site at the Wadi Nafun monument in Oman. The analysis of the remains made it possible to reconstruct the lifestyle of Neolithic communities and to find out that 7 thousand years ago the peoples hunted and ate sharks. This was reported on January 15 by the magazine La Brjula Verde (LBV).

The analysis showed that the peoples were more adapted and technologically advanced than previously thought. The data obtained refute the idea that the population of arid areas experienced a constant shortage of resources.

"For the first time, we were able to document, using scientific and natural data, the existence of specialized hunting for marine predators, and we did this through a direct analysis of the local population buried at this site," said Alzbeta Danielisova, head of the expedition in Oman and head of the Department of Natural Sciences and Archaeometry at the Institute.

It clarifies that the connection established between the buried population and sharks is unique not only for prehistoric Arabia, but also for all Neolithic cultures that existed in the arid zones of the world. The study was complicated by the extreme dryness of Oman's environment: organic components, including bone collagen, are practically not preserved, so the Czech team focused on studying the mineral part of bones and teeth.

The samples were sent to Czech laboratories. Anthropologist Jiri Schneeberger clarified that the teeth of this community are characteristically worn out. According to him, this indicates not only a special diet, but also the possible use of teeth as tools.

Paleodietic analysis was performed using stable isotopes of bioapatite, a mineral phase of bones and teeth that is resistant to destruction in arid conditions. The analysis of carbon, oxygen, strontium and nitrogen isotopes made it possible to accurately determine the proportion of marine food in the diet, as well as to identify the mobility of the population. So, some people came from areas up to 50 km away.

The results of the study show that shark meat was one of the main sources of food and nutrients for this people. According to Danielisova, we are talking about the protein of the highest predators of the marine trophic chain. She noted that this indicates a deep knowledge of the marine environment and developed hunting and navigation skills.

Currently, the research is ongoing. Currently, scientists are analyzing tartar, which may contain food microparticles and ancient proteins, including possible traces of shark tissue. According to experts, this can provide direct biomolecular evidence of the diet.

It is claimed that the Neolithic societies of South Arabia led a flexible and sustainable lifestyle, combining hunting on land, gathering, pastoralism and intensive exploitation of marine resources, including the largest predators. The analysis of strontium isotopes also confirmed that for more than 300 years, Wadi Nafun served as an important ritual and burial center that united disparate groups of the population and played a key role in the social and cultural life of the region.

Scientific Reports magazine reported on December 4 last year that Neanderthals used bones to skin animals about 130-114 thousand years ago. It was clarified that the studied fragment of the left femur of a deer, found on the territory of Abri du Mar, contains traces on the surface that indicate this use. Scientists have identified characteristics such as the depth and density of micro-scratches, which indicates prolonged contact with soft materials.

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