The most ancient testimony to the rituals of storing food was found by researchers from the University of Haifa and the German Archaeological Institute (DAI) in Berlin during excavations at the prehistoric site of Tel Tsaf. An unusual clay pot said to be over 7,000 years old reveals for the first time the ritualistic and political significance of the large-scale food storage rooms in the ancient Middle East.

“Until now, discussions on the early transition to complex societies in this area focussed mainly on later time periods and on the connection between the development of socio-economic elites and the capacity of certain individuals or families to store large amounts of food to survive over and above their own personal needs. In this context, the insights from Tel Tsaf provide one of the earliest proofs for the early connection between the storage of food in large measure and the observance of a ritual that is connected with the successful storage and conservation of agricultural produce,”...