Eight thousand-year-old ostrich eggs were found during excavations near an ancient fireplace. The researchers are now waiting for information about the nomads’ early life.
Eight thousand-year-old ostrich eggs have been discovered in the Negev desert in Israel. Researchers found the broken egg shells during excavations next to an ancient fireplace, the Israel Antiquities Authority said on Thursday. The eggs are between 4,000 and 7,500 years old. As the basins were covered by sand dunes for a long time, they were well preserved, according to the agency’s director. In addition, the climate of the region is very dry.
The discovery could teach a lot about the lives of nomads who roamed the desert in ancient times, the agency said. The proximity of the eggs found to a fireplace suggests that the eggs were deliberately collected for eating. Ostriches were common in the region until they became extinct in the wild in the 19th century.
The archaeological site in the Negev desert. Israel Antiquities AuthorityLuxury item and food source
Previous discoveries indicated that ostrich eggs were used as luxury goods, jewelry or water containers, said Amir Gorzalczany of the Antiquities Authority. However, they also served as a food source. “An ostrich egg has the nutritional value of about 25 normal chicken eggs,” said Gorzalczany. The eggs would now be put together “like a jigsaw puzzle” and examined more closely in a laboratory. “The best is yet to come,” said director of prospects Lauren Davis.
An ancient puzzle. Israel Antiquities Authority(APA)