Diachronic Trends in Butchering Practices during the Early and Middle Bronze Ages A View from Tell Zera'a, Jordan

The examination of butchering technology and marks from archaeological sites provides insight into various socio-economic aspects of past societies, including diet, technology, and cultural identity. This is particularly relevant during the Bronze Ages (3500 - 1200 B.c.E.) of the Southern Levant, as metal technology becomes more widespread and craft specialization becomes more prevalent. However, their occurrence in butchering and food production is not completely understood. The multi-period site of Tell Zerci'a (in the northwest corner of Jordan) contains an extensive chronological sequence for the Early and Middle Bronze Ages, which offer the opportunity to investigate diachronic trends in butchering practices and potential emergence of skilled butchering. This study examines the suite of butchering marks and corresponding butchering activities on the faunal remains from the Early and Middle Bronze Age contexts of Tell Zera'a. The results demonstrate that domestic taxa make up for the majority of the butchered animals and a wide range of activities occur upon them. They further indicate that animals are butchered in a similar style with few changes appearing during the later Middle Bronze Age. While it is not fully known if these changes are due to the integration of metal technology, it is suggested that butchering was a task performed at the household level during both periods.