Natufian hunter-gatherers consumed reptiles 15,000 years ago

Archaeological research suggests that Natufian hunter-gatherers living on Mount Carmel approximately 15,000 years ago consumed reptiles as a significant part of their diet. A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) details how researchers analyzed thousands of lizard and snake bones recovered from the ‘el-wad Terrace settlement layers.

Using microscopic analysis, a team from Kiel University and the University of Haifa distinguished between reptile bones that died naturally or were preyed upon by animals and those that had been butchered by humans using flint knives. The cut marks were found consistently on the bones of large snakes. Evidence also indicates the consumption of the European glass lizard.

Researchers hypothesize that these early sedentary communities preferred catching reptiles that were relatively large, slow, and non-dangerous, noting that venomous snakes like vipers were rarely caught. This dietary shift occurred as the Natufian people transitioned from nomadic lifestyles to more permanent settlements in the southern Levant.