Neolithic Guests Brought Gifts to a Prehistoric Dinner Party

Neolithic guests brought gifts to a prehistoric dinner party

Communities arriving at the Early Neolithic site of Asiab with wild boar for a communal feast. Credit: Kathryn Killackey About 11,000 years ago, Early Neolithic humans came together for a great feast in what is today the Zagros Mountains of Iran. Evidence of this prehistoric dinner party survives in the form of 19 wild boar (Sus scrofa) skulls which were unearthed at the archaeological site of Asiab. The remains show marks of butchery and were n…

’Ultimate dinner party guests’: Ancient communities attending feast gifted boars sourced from distant lands

18.07.2025 - Offering gifts with geographical symbolism is an ancient human practice that can be traced back to prehistory, new ANU research shows. George Booth. Senior Media and Communications Officer Magnets and shot glasses serve as fun holiday souvenirs, but certain foods synonymous with a country's identity can make for extra meaningful gifts for friends and loved ones; think French cheese, D