Tehran – Research by an international team revealed that the pre-farm community at the early Neolithic site of Asiab near Kermansha, western Iran (~9660–9340 Cal Bce) is engaged in a complex logical effort to provide a massive ritual feast.
Isotopic analysis of five wild boar molars from ritual sediments, including 19 people, shows that these animals were transported to considerable distances. Scientists used sophisticated dental analytical techniques to treat teeth as chemical diaries.
By analyzing oxygen and strontium isotopes within consecutive enamel layers, the researchers tracked the geographical origin and movement of wild boars during their life as these isotopes differ depending on landscape and geology. Mapping barium concentrations across tooth cross sections identify sudden dietary changes and indicate seasonal migration or shifts in foraging areas. Importantly, daily microscopic studies of dental growth lines provided accurate time series control, allowing researchers to link chemical features to a particular week or season.
The analysis showed that four of the five wild boars originated from at least 70 kilometres from Asiab, requiring transport across the plains of the steep mountains of Kermansha. Variations in the oxygen signature in the teeth indicate that wild boars lived at different elevations by more than 500 vertical meters, confirming that they source hunter animals in extreme mountain terrain. Dietary markers further demonstrated that wild boars came from separate herds and were captured in different seasons between February and September, proving that they were not hunted on one expedition, but gathered from multiple locations throughout the year.
Transporting one 70 kg boar corpses on a rough 70 km terrain path takes at least two days, representing a massive investment of time and energy that far exceeds the basic self-sufficiency needs, highlighting the cultural significance of these east feasts.
This constitutes the earliest documented evidence of long-distance animal transport for ritual purposes in pre-agriculture society. The sediments of 19 wild boars (approximately 700 kg of meat) reveal that Neolithic communities utilized feasts for profound social functions. This organized event solidified alliances between distant groups through participation in shared rituals, demonstrated hunting skills in procuring dangerous games, and expressed spiritual connections with wildlife. The boar served as a symbolic bridge between the community and nature, foresaw the domestication of the area’s pigs.
The findings are expected to change our understanding of early social complexity and demonstrate social connections on landscape scale, with sophisticated organizational capabilities requiring coordinated efforts before agriculture. The special status of wild boars here resonates with ritual art at sites like Göbekli Tepe, highlighting a common Neolithic cultural tradition centered around powerful wildlife, setting the stage for domestication in Southwest Asia.
morning