Prehistoric and Ancient Historic Interactions
3
However, there has been no systematic compilation of marine turtle remains in
archaeological sites. Even so, a rapid review of the literature clearly illustrates diverse
prehistoric human interactions with these animals from around the world. For the
present study, we will focus on only a few select geographic areas.
Typically, fragments of the bony carapace dominate the zooarchaeological specimens that are recovered, which may or may not have relevance to cultural aspects
at the time when the bones were deposited. One way or the other, these specimens
are rarely identifiable beyond the family level. To date, nearly all — if not all —
zooarchaeological specimens have been identified as belonging to the taxonomic
family of hard-shelled marine turtles, Cheloniidae; there appear to be few, if any,
records from the family Dermochelyidae.
1.2.1 Z OOARCHAEOLOGICAL R EMAINS IN THE M EDITERRANEAN ,
A RABIAN P ENINSULA , AND I NDIAN O CEAN B ASIN
Some of the oldest evidence of interactions between humans and marine turtles
comes from the Arabian Peninsula and other nearby localities (Table 1.1). Dalma
Island, United Arab Emirates (UAE), has a habitational site dating to about 5000
B . C . E ., 1 and fragments of cheloniid turtles were reported from several layers (Beech,
2000). Another Ubaid 2 site of about the same age, at As-Sabiyah, Kuwait, has also
yielded marine turtle bones (Beech, 2002). Mediterranean remains, although not
quite as old, also date back millennia; a fragment of the plastron of a cheloniid turtle
(possibly Chelonia mydas , the green turtle) was recovered from the Early Bronze
age site (about 3600–3300 B . C . E .) of Afridar on the Israeli coast near Ashkelon
(Whitcher-Kansa, in press).
Several sites in eastern Arabia have yielded bones of marine turtles, often in
relatively large numbers. Characteristically on the seashore, many of these sites have
been identified as Bronze Age, and some have been dated at more than 3000 years
B . C . E . Among the oldest are Abu Khamis, at Ras az-Zor (or Ras as-Zoror), Saudi
Arabia, one of a number of Ubaid sites on the Arabian Gulf (Masry, 1974), and Ra’s
al-Hamra, on the Batnah coast of Oman, both dated to about 3500 B . C . E . At the latter
site, remains of marine turtles are found on the ancient surface of the site, and
shallow graves often include animal remains, usually fish or turtle: “The shell of the
green turtle ( Chelonia mydas ) was more common in the graves than the remains of
any other animal, and thus seems to have had particular significance for the ancient
inhabitants of Ra’s al-Hamra” (Potts, 1990: 71; see also Durante and Tosi, 1977).
Elsewhere in Oman there are relatively large numbers of marine turtle remains
at Ras al-Junayz that date from 4000 to 2000 B . C . E . (Bökönyi, 1992) and at Ra’s alHadd, a Bronze age site dating to about 2000 years B . C . E . (Mosseri-Marlio, 1998).
1 The time scale is divided into B . C . E . , before the common era, or before 2000 years ago, and C . E . ,
common era.
2 The term “Ubaid,” which derives from the small ancient site of Al’ Ubaid (or “Tell al Ubaid”) near the
Sumerian city of Ur along the banks of the Euphrates River in present-day Iraq, is used to refer to a
particular pottery style, as well as an associated cultural period in Mesopotamia and the Arabian Gulf,
and usually dated from about 5500–4000 C . D . E . (Oates, et. al., 1977; Moorey, 1994; xix; Potts, 1997:xixii; Postgate, in litt . 4 June 2002).
1123_C01.fm Page 3 Friday, November 15, 2002 11:13 AM
3
However, there has been no systematic compilation of marine turtle remains in
archaeological sites. Even so, a rapid review of the literature clearly illustrates diverse
prehistoric human interactions with these animals from around the world. For the
present study, we will focus on only a few select geographic areas.
Typically, fragments of the bony carapace dominate the zooarchaeological specimens that are recovered, which may or may not have relevance to cultural aspects
at the time when the bones were deposited. One way or the other, these specimens
are rarely identifiable beyond the family level. To date, nearly all — if not all —
zooarchaeological specimens have been identified as belonging to the taxonomic
family of hard-shelled marine turtles, Cheloniidae; there appear to be few, if any,
records from the family Dermochelyidae.
1.2.1 Z OOARCHAEOLOGICAL R EMAINS IN THE M EDITERRANEAN ,
A RABIAN P ENINSULA , AND I NDIAN O CEAN B ASIN
Some of the oldest evidence of interactions between humans and marine turtles
comes from the Arabian Peninsula and other nearby localities (Table 1.1). Dalma
Island, United Arab Emirates (UAE), has a habitational site dating to about 5000
B . C . E ., 1 and fragments of cheloniid turtles were reported from several layers (Beech,
2000). Another Ubaid 2 site of about the same age, at As-Sabiyah, Kuwait, has also
yielded marine turtle bones (Beech, 2002). Mediterranean remains, although not
quite as old, also date back millennia; a fragment of the plastron of a cheloniid turtle
(possibly Chelonia mydas , the green turtle) was recovered from the Early Bronze
age site (about 3600–3300 B . C . E .) of Afridar on the Israeli coast near Ashkelon
(Whitcher-Kansa, in press).
Several sites in eastern Arabia have yielded bones of marine turtles, often in
relatively large numbers. Characteristically on the seashore, many of these sites have
been identified as Bronze Age, and some have been dated at more than 3000 years
B . C . E . Among the oldest are Abu Khamis, at Ras az-Zor (or Ras as-Zoror), Saudi
Arabia, one of a number of Ubaid sites on the Arabian Gulf (Masry, 1974), and Ra’s
al-Hamra, on the Batnah coast of Oman, both dated to about 3500 B . C . E . At the latter
site, remains of marine turtles are found on the ancient surface of the site, and
shallow graves often include animal remains, usually fish or turtle: “The shell of the
green turtle ( Chelonia mydas ) was more common in the graves than the remains of
any other animal, and thus seems to have had particular significance for the ancient
inhabitants of Ra’s al-Hamra” (Potts, 1990: 71; see also Durante and Tosi, 1977).
Elsewhere in Oman there are relatively large numbers of marine turtle remains
at Ras al-Junayz that date from 4000 to 2000 B . C . E . (Bökönyi, 1992) and at Ra’s alHadd, a Bronze age site dating to about 2000 years B . C . E . (Mosseri-Marlio, 1998).
1 The time scale is divided into B . C . E . , before the common era, or before 2000 years ago, and C . E . ,
common era.
2 The term “Ubaid,” which derives from the small ancient site of Al’ Ubaid (or “Tell al Ubaid”) near the
Sumerian city of Ur along the banks of the Euphrates River in present-day Iraq, is used to refer to a
particular pottery style, as well as an associated cultural period in Mesopotamia and the Arabian Gulf,
and usually dated from about 5500–4000 C . D . E . (Oates, et. al., 1977; Moorey, 1994; xix; Potts, 1997:xixii; Postgate, in litt . 4 June 2002).
1123_C01.fm Page 3 Friday, November 15, 2002 11:13 AM