An isotopic perspective on equid selection in cult at Tell eṣ-Ṣâfi/Gath, Israel

Elizabeth R. Arnold; Haskel J. Greenfield; Gideon Hartman; Tina L. Greenfield; Shira Albaz; Elisabetta Boaretto; Johanna Regev; Aren M. Maeir

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0326421

An isotopic perspective on equid selection in cult at Tell eṣ-Ṣâfi/Gath, Israel

Elizabeth R. Arnold^*
, Haskel J. Greenfield
, Gideon Hartman
, Tina L. Greenfield
, Shira Albaz
, Elisabetta Boaretto
, Johanna Regev
, Aren M. Maeir

^*Corresponding author for this work

Scientific Archeology Unit

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Archaeological excavations of an Early Bronze Age III (c. 2900–2600/2550 BCE) domestic neighborhood at the site of Tell eṣ-Ṣâfi/Gath, Israel, uncovered four complete skeletons of young female donkeys that were buried immediately below house floors as ritual foundation deposits. Multi-isotope analyses (carbon, oxygen and strontium) of their teeth document that each of the donkeys was born and raised in Egypt before being brought to Tell eṣ-Ṣâfi/Gath where they were slaughtered and buried beneath house floors in a non-elite domestic neighborhood. In contrast, isotopic analysis of teeth from a single isolated donkey mandible and additional sheep and goat teeth that displayed evidence of being used for food consumption and not associated with a complete burial, identify the donkey as born and raised among local livestock in the vicinity of Tell eṣ-Ṣâfi/Gath. The intentionally buried of specifically imported and highly valued young jennies reveal what appears to be a ritually charged characteristic when constructing domestic residences at the site.

Original language	English
Article number	e0326421
Journal	PLoS ONE
Volume	20
Issue number	7 July
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0326421
Publication status	Published - Jul 2025

Funding

The research was funded by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada (Grants #895‐2011‐1005; and 410-2009-1303). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. We are grateful for the assistance of Stanley H. Ambrose, Tom Johnson, and Craig Lundstrom for lab access and assistance with technical issues, Phil Slater, Norbert Gajos, Matthew Fort and Stanley Anderson for technical support at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign), Annie Brown for selection and preparation of some of the samples (University of Manitoba), and Susan Mendoza and Rachel Powers for guidance to the Student Summer Scholar Program (Grand Valley State University). Thanks are extended to the Statistical Consulting Center at GVSU for invaluable statistics assistance. Finally, we gratefully acknowledge and thank the dedicated work of the staff and team members of the Tell eṣ-Ṣâfi/Gath Archaeological Project, and the host of colleagues and students from around the world who participated in the excavations. Without their unstinting support, this research could not have been successfully carried out. Any errors are the responsibility of the authors. We would like to acknowledge the following organizations for their support: The Tell eṣ-Ṣâfi/Gath Archaeological Project and its staff and team members; Bar-Ilan University and the Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology at Bar-Ilan University; the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada; Faculty of Arts, St. Paul’s College and Near Eastern and Biblical Archaeology Laboratory of the University of Manitoba; Grand Valley State University; and the Jewish and Catholic Foundations of Manitoba. The Radiocarbon research was supported by the Exilarch Foundation for the Dangoor Research Accelerator Mass Spectrometer (D-REAMS) Laboratory and the Radiocarbon Field work was supported by the Kimmel Center for Archaeological Science and George Schwartzman Fund. We are grateful for the assistance of Stanley H. Ambrose, Tom Johnson, and Craig Lundstrom for lab access and assistance with technical issues, Phil Slater, Norbert Gajos, Matthew Fort and Stanley Anderson for technical support at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign), Annie Brown for selection and preparation of some of the samples (University of Manitoba), and Susan Mendoza and Rachel Powers for guidance to the Student Summer Scholar Program (Grand Valley State University). Thanks are extended to the Statistical Consulting Center at GVSU for invaluable statistics assistance. Finally, we gratefully acknowledge and thank the dedicated work of the staff and team members of the Tell eṣ-Ṣâfi/Gath Archaeological Project, and the host of colleagues and students from around the world who participated in the excavations. Without their unstinting support, this research could not have been successfully carried out. Any errors are the responsibility of the authors. We would like to acknowledge the following organizations for their support: The Tell eṣ-Ṣâfi/Gath Archaeological Project and its staff and team members; Bar-Ilan University and the Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology at Bar-Ilan University; the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada; Faculty of Arts, St. Paul’s College and Near Eastern and Biblical Archaeology Laboratory of the University of Manitoba; Grand Valley State University; and the Jewish and Catholic Foundations of Manitoba. The Radiocarbon research was supported by the Exilarch Foundation for the Dangoor Research Accelerator Mass Spectrometer (D-REAMS) Laboratory and the Radiocarbon Field work was supported by the Kimmel Center for Archaeological Science and George Schwartzman Fund. Funding: The research was funded by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada (Grants #895‐2011‐1005; and 410-2009-1303). The funders had no role

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title = "An isotopic perspective on equid selection in cult at Tell eṣ-Ṣ{\^a}fi/Gath, Israel",

abstract = "Archaeological excavations of an Early Bronze Age III (c. 2900–2600/2550 BCE) domestic neighborhood at the site of Tell eṣ-Ṣ{\^a}fi/Gath, Israel, uncovered four complete skeletons of young female donkeys that were buried immediately below house floors as ritual foundation deposits. Multi-isotope analyses (carbon, oxygen and strontium) of their teeth document that each of the donkeys was born and raised in Egypt before being brought to Tell eṣ-Ṣ{\^a}fi/Gath where they were slaughtered and buried beneath house floors in a non-elite domestic neighborhood. In contrast, isotopic analysis of teeth from a single isolated donkey mandible and additional sheep and goat teeth that displayed evidence of being used for food consumption and not associated with a complete burial, identify the donkey as born and raised among local livestock in the vicinity of Tell eṣ-Ṣ{\^a}fi/Gath. The intentionally buried of specifically imported and highly valued young jennies reveal what appears to be a ritually charged characteristic when constructing domestic residences at the site.",

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AU - Albaz, Shira

AU - Boaretto, Elisabetta

AU - Regev, Johanna

AU - Maeir, Aren M.

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N2 - Archaeological excavations of an Early Bronze Age III (c. 2900–2600/2550 BCE) domestic neighborhood at the site of Tell eṣ-Ṣâfi/Gath, Israel, uncovered four complete skeletons of young female donkeys that were buried immediately below house floors as ritual foundation deposits. Multi-isotope analyses (carbon, oxygen and strontium) of their teeth document that each of the donkeys was born and raised in Egypt before being brought to Tell eṣ-Ṣâfi/Gath where they were slaughtered and buried beneath house floors in a non-elite domestic neighborhood. In contrast, isotopic analysis of teeth from a single isolated donkey mandible and additional sheep and goat teeth that displayed evidence of being used for food consumption and not associated with a complete burial, identify the donkey as born and raised among local livestock in the vicinity of Tell eṣ-Ṣâfi/Gath. The intentionally buried of specifically imported and highly valued young jennies reveal what appears to be a ritually charged characteristic when constructing domestic residences at the site.

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An isotopic perspective on equid selection in cult at Tell eṣ-Ṣâfi/Gath, Israel

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