Archaeologists have discovered what’s thought to be the first example of an ancient human who consumed an entire venomous snake – fangs and all.
In a one-of-a-kind discovery at the Conejo Shelter in Texas, researchers recovered the bones, scales, and a single fang of a viper from fossilized human feces.
The remains of the precarious meal date back to roughly 1,500 years ago, and researchers suspect it was part of a ritual or ceremony.
While that may well have included non-venomous snakes, too, the discovery of the potentially deadly animal consumed in its entirety is likely the first of its kind. Given the presence of the bones and an intact fang, the team says this was likely a matter of ceremony, not nutrition
Researchers from Texas A&M University and Wichita State University detailed the unusual findings in a new paper published to the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports.
In the study, the team analyzed samples from more than 1,000 coprolites (fossil poop) found in Texas during the 1960s.
It’s thought that the site may once have served as a latrine.
The samples revealed clues on the diets of hunter-gatherers in the region over 1,500 years ago – in the hot, dry climate, these people survived on small animals and what vegetation they could forage.
In a one-of-a-kind discovery at the Conejo Shelter in Texas, researchers recovered the bones, scales, and a single fang of a viper from fossilized human feces (shown). The remains of the precarious meal date back to roughly 1,500 years ago
While that may well have included non-venomous snakes, too, the discovery of the potentially deadly animal consumed in its entirety is likely the first of its kind.
