CNN —
A well-known riddle compares an egg to treasure and asks: A box with no hinges, key or lid, but inside which lies a golden treasure. What am I?
And for archaeologists in Israel, eight prehistoric ostrich eggs – believed to be between 4,000 and 7,500 years old – proved as valuable as treasure when they were found near an ancient hearth in the Negev, a desert region in southern Africa country, were discovered.
They were discovered during an archaeological dig in the agricultural fields of Be’er Milka, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) said on Thursday.
The eggs’ proximity to the fire pit suggests they were deliberately collected by the prehistoric desert nomads who used the campground, according to an IAA press release, although further laboratory analysis will provide more information on their use and age.
“We found a campsite that stretches about 200 square meters and has been used by the desert nomads since prehistoric times,” said Lauren Davis, the IAA’s director of excavations, in the press release.
“On site we found burnt rocks, flint and stone tools and pottery shards, but the really special find is this collection of ostrich eggs. Although the nomads did not build any permanent structures at this site, the finds let us feel their presence in the desert.”
Davis added that the campsites were covered by the dunes, which preserved the eggs exceptionally well.
The IAA, which told CNN on Thursday that the site had been excavated over the past week, said ostriches were widespread in the region until they became extinct in the wild in the 19th century.
Their eggs were ornately decorated and coveted items among the elite of Mediterranean civilizations during the Bronze and Iron Ages.
In addition to being used as decorative items, ostrich eggs have also been used at funerals, as a water bottle, and as a food source.
“We find ostrich eggs in archaeological sites in burial contexts and as luxury items and water bottles. Of course, they were used as a food source: an ostrich egg has the nutritional value of about 25 regular chicken eggs,” said Amir Gorzalczany, IAA’s senior research archaeologist, in the press release.
“It is interesting that ostrich eggs are not uncommon during excavations, but the bones of the large bird are not found. This may indicate that ancient people avoided attacking the ostrich and were content to collect their eggs.”