By Madhuri Dey
Sep 2, (THAINDIAN NEWS) Archaeologists working in Hilazon Tachtit, in Northern Israel have been able to unearth remains of a large feast that is supposed to be around 12,000 years old. Archeologists working in a cave in Northern Israel have published their path breaking findings in PNAS. The researchers have discovered interesting tools and animal bones along with some human skeletons that date back to late Palaeolithic age.

The scientists working in the cave realized during their digging that they had actually discovered an ancient burial ground that contains huge amount of animal bones. Remains of at least three skeletons of giant extinct cattle, aurochs along with over 70 tortoise skeletons were discovered. The researchers also found skeletons of 28 human bodies that included bodies of both elderly people and babies. However, it is the two pit-like depressions at the middle of the cave that has attracted the attention of the researchers and led them to conclude that they have unearthed a campsite.

The University of Connecticut archaeologist Natalie Munro and Jerusalem’s Hebrew University’s Leore Grossman said to media sources that the discovered pit was too small for habitation and contained tortoise bones and shells many of whom were found burnt. The archaeologists mentioned that they had also found bones of an elderly lady with an odd bone structure. They held that her body was buried along with some different animal bones suggesting that she held some special position in the community. The researchers guessed that perhaps it was her burial that was commemorated with a feast. This is for the first time that researchers have found any evidence of feast in palaeolithic age.