Snakes on a plate: Reptiles eaten by foragers in the Levant for 3,000 years

Research conducted by Maʻayan Lev, Mina Weinstein-Evron, and Reuven Yeshurun from the University of Haifa has revealed that reptiles, including snakes and lizards, were commonly consumed by foragers in the Levant over the course of three millennia. The fossils discovered at El Wad Terrace in present-day Israel, dating back 11,700 to 15,000 years, showed that reptiles constituted a significant portion of the Natufian culture's diet during that period.

These Natufians are recognized as the initial hunter-gatherers to establish permanent villages before the advent of agriculture.

The study found that fossil remains of squamates, the collective term for reptiles like lizards and snakes, accounted for over a third of all animal remains linked to food consumption at the site. Among the most frequently found snake vertebrae were those from European glass lizards, large whip snakes, and eastern Montpellier snakes.

While large-bodied and relatively easy to catch snake species were primarily targeted for consumption, squamates still comprised a "substantial and consistent portion" of the Natufian diet across the three millennia of occupation.

Dr. Lev explained that snakes were not the primary food source for the Natufians but rather a continuous and supplementary component of their diet, which they relied on alongside other prey. The main source of sustenance for these foragers was the mountain gazelle, along with numerous smaller species including mole rats, hares, small carnivores, water birds, and tortoises.

The researchers were unable to determine precisely how the snakes were caught and cooked, but based on studies of other hunter-gatherer societies, they proposed various methods such as hand-capturing, using nets or a rope noose, or employing sharpened sticks, small bows and arrows, or hand-held spears.

The researchers observed repeating cut marks on the left side of the trunk vertebrae, which remained consistent throughout the site's occupation. This consistent butchering method suggests a culturally inherited practice that was passed down through generations. The presence of burning marks on the bones indicates that the snakes were likely cooked directly over an open fire.

The Natufians consumed reptiles more frequently as their population grew and the intensity of occupation at the site increased, leading to greater pressure on food resources.