Fat, Potency, and Respect: The Holy Triad of Human-Animal Relationships in the Paleolithic

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Embodied Essence: Anthropological, Historical, and Archaeological Perspectives on the Use of Body Parts and Bodily Substances in Religious Beliefs and Practices" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Animals played a major role in human subsistence, well-being, and relationship with the world around them since time immemorial. Humans were highly dependent on their animal counterparts for their successful survival and adaptation; however, this dependency was expressed in respect and appreciation toward these animals. I believe that the early archaeological record is consistent with such statements, and that fat, potency, and respect were major key-issues in human interaction with game animals in the Paleolithic. Case studies regarding the use of elephant, bird, and fallow dear body parts in archaeological contexts from the Levant and beyond will be used in order to implement these claims.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Embodied Essence: Anthropological, Historical, and Archaeological Perspectives on the Use of Body Parts and Bodily Substances in Religious Beliefs and Practices   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 38853.0