Earliest evidence for equid bit wear in the ancient Near East: The "ass" from Early Bronze Age Tell eṣ-Ṣâfi/Gath, Israel

PLoS One. 2018 May 16;13(5):e0196335. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0196335. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

Analysis of a sacrificed and interred domestic donkey from an Early Bronze Age (EB) IIIB (c. 2800-2600 BCE) domestic residential neighborhood at Tell eṣ-Ṣâfi/Gath, Israel, indicate the presence of bit wear on the Lower Premolar 2 (LPM2). This is the earliest evidence for the use of a bit among early domestic equids, and in particular donkeys, in the Near East. The mesial enamel surfaces on both the right and left LPM2 of the particular donkey in question are slightly worn in a fashion that suggests that a dental bit (metal, bone, wood, etc.) was used to control the animal. Given the secure chronological context of the burial (beneath the floor of an EB IIIB house), it is suggested that this animal provides the earliest evidence for the use of a bit on an early domestic equid from the Near East.

Publication types

  • Historical Article
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animal Husbandry / history
  • Animals
  • Animals, Domestic / anatomy & histology*
  • Equidae / anatomy & histology*
  • Fossils
  • History, Ancient
  • Humans
  • Israel
  • Paleodontology
  • Tooth Wear / history
  • Tooth Wear / veterinary*

Grants and funding

The excavations and laboratory analysis of the Early Bronze Age remains at Tell eṣ-Ṣâfi/Gath are administratively supported and/or funded by many institutions and sources including The Tell eṣ-Ṣâfi/Gath Archaeological Project and its staff and team members, The Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology at Bar-Ilan University, Bar-Ilan University Kushitzky Fund, the University of Manitoba, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (Grant # 410-2009-1303 to H. Greenfield in 2009 and Partnership Grant #895-2011-1005 to H. Greenfield and A. Maeir in 2012), St. Paul’s College and Near Eastern and Biblical Archaeology Lab of the University of Manitoba, the Jewish and Catholic Foundations of Manitoba, and several private donors. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.