Unearthing prehistoric diets: First evidence of horse meat consumption in Early Bronze Age Sicily.
Authors: Tanasi Davide, Micciché Roberto, Tykot Robert H, Busetti Luis, Barbieri Pierluigi, Di Maida Gianpiero, Ardesia Viviana, Miani Alessandro, Marin Elia, Greco Enrico
Journal: PloS one
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Early Bronze Age Horse Consumption in Sicily Evidence of horse meat consumption in Early Bronze Age Sicily fundamentally reshapes our understanding of equid use in the prehistoric Mediterranean, pushing back the timeline of human-horse dietary relationships by centuries. Researchers applied advanced biomolecular techniques—specifically proteomics and lipidomics—to ceramic vessels recovered from the Castelluccian settlement at Polizzello Mountain, identifying equine serum albumin and animal fat residues that conclusively demonstrate horse processing or consumption within this 3,000-year-old community. Multiple pottery fragments yielded proteomic data confirming equine-derived proteins, whilst lipid analysis revealed the presence of both animal fats and plant-based substances, suggesting deliberate food preparation rather than incidental contact. These findings significantly alter established models of equid domestication and economic strategy across the central Mediterranean, implying that horses held far greater cultural, dietary and possibly ritual significance in Bronze Age Sicily than previously recognised. For contemporary equine professionals, this work reinforces the importance of understanding horses' deep historical role in human societies and may prompt reconsideration of how nutritional, metabolic and behavioural knowledge of ancient equines could inform modern management and welfare practices.
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Practical Takeaways
- •This is an archaeological study with no direct application to equine health, farriery, or performance management
- •The research demonstrates historical evidence of horse utilization but provides no information relevant to modern equine practice or management
- •Not applicable to contemporary equine professional practice
Key Findings
- •Proteomics identified equine serum albumin in ceramic vessels from Early Bronze Age Sicily, providing earliest documented evidence of horse meat consumption on the island
- •Lipidomics analysis of pottery residues revealed animal fats and vegetable-derived substances consistent with food processing and storage
- •Findings demonstrate a complex human-equid relationship in prehistoric Sicily during the third millennium BCE, substantially revising previous understanding of equid domestication and utilization