Coexistence of humans and animals in Paleolithic and Neolithic burials in the Fertile Crescent
Subject Areas : Prehistoric Archaeology
Mohsen Sangbargan
1
*
,
Mohammad Hossein Rezaei
2
1 - university nyshbur
2 - Department of History, Shiraz University, Shiraz. iran.
Keywords: Human Animal burial, Neolithic , Epipalaeolithic, Fertile Crescent,
Abstract :
Burials are one of the most important findings from archaeological excavations; Unlike many archeological finds, whose location is often without specific goals, in the burial, the location of the finds is deliberate, and behind it lies goals that can reflect the beliefs and conditions of human life at that time. Accompanying animals with humans in burial is one of the common burial methods from the Epipalaeolithic and Neolithic eras in the Fertile Crescent region, which can have many concepts from the past world. Based on this, the current research aims to investigate and introduce this burial method and its starting time frame, its relationship with animal domestication, and also investigate the hidden concepts behind the prevalence of this burial method (such as the connection with shamanism or ritual symbolism). The method of conducting this research is descriptive-analytical, and the necessary information has been collected and analyzed from archaeological reports and publications related to Fertile Crescent sites. The results of the research show that the method and tradition of animal burial, as well as the type of animal chosen to accompany humans in the burial, have been different in different regions and periods of human life based on different attitudes, which include both carnivorous and herbivorous animals. Also, the presence of domesticated animals in burials indicates a strong relationship between humans and animals and is probably related to the beginning of the domestication process. In addition to finding complete remains of animals in some graves, parts of animals are buried with humans, which is a kind of pre-sacrifice to the deceased. Also, in some cases, there are signs of symbolic connection between humans and animals and even shamanism in human and animal burials.