European pond turtles used as a portable food source during the ice age?

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Experts believe that these turtles helped early modern humans, or Neanderthals, to survive the harsh, freezing conditions of northern Germany.

Of the recent discoveries at Barleben-Adamsee, the most striking are five fragments of the shell of the European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis). The fragments have been radiocarbon-dated twice, revealing an age of between 42 000 and 50 000 years.

This was quite surprising, as it means that the turtles lived during the Ice Age, when much of northern Germany was covered in ice. The pond turtle could not have lived there in the wild, as eggs laid by turtles on land required temperatures above 18-20 degrees Celsius for the hatchlings to develop. It is therefore unlikely that the turtles came from the area where they were found, but they may have come from a warmer area further south.

Previous studies have found evidence that humans have used turtles as food and transported them as 'live preserves'. Turtles were easy to transport and could be kept alive for a long time on a simple diet found in nature. And when they wanted to be eaten, they could be roasted over an open fire in their shells.

"These animals are easy to transport and provide fresh meat, even when hunting is not possible. It is possible that ice age hunters (Neanderthals or early modern humans) transported turtles to the cold northern regions," the researchers write in a press release.

A news article in English:

Ice Age turtle finds near Magdeburg point to canned food from the Stone Age - Arkeonews

Experts have recovered around 50,000-year-old turtle shell fragments from the Barleben-Adamsee gravel pit near Magdeburg. The turtles could have been easily transportable food reserves.

arkeonews.net

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Experts believe that these turtles helped early modern humans, or Neanderthals, to survive the harsh, freezing conditions of northern Germany.

Of the recent discoveries at Barleben-Adamsee, the most striking are five fragments of the shell of the European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis). The fragments have been radiocarbon-dated twice, revealing an age of between 42 000 and 50 000 years.

This was quite surprising, as it means that the turtles lived during the Ice Age, when much of northern Germany was covered in ice. The pond turtle could not have lived there in the wild, as eggs laid by turtles on land required temperatures above 18-20 degrees Celsius for the hatchlings to develop. It is therefore unlikely that the turtles came from the area where they were found, but they may have come from a warmer area further south.

Previous studies have found evidence that humans have used turtles as food and transported them as 'live preserves'. Turtles were easy to transport and could be kept alive for a long time on a simple diet found in nature. And when they wanted to be eaten, they could be roasted over an open fire in their shells.

"These animals are easy to transport and provide fresh meat, even when hunting is not possible. It is possible that ice age hunters (Neanderthals or early modern humans) transported turtles to the cold northern regions," the researchers write in a press release.

A news article in English:

Ice Age turtle finds near Magdeburg point to canned food from the Stone Age - Arkeonews

Experts have recovered around 50,000-year-old turtle shell fragments from the Barleben-Adamsee gravel pit near Magdeburg. The turtles could have been easily transportable food reserves.

arkeonews.net

Cruel, cruel humans...

But that's likely how we've got Hermann's and Greek tortoises here in Cyprus (with sailors, not Neanderthals, of course).

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Cruel, cruel humans...

But that's likely how we've got Hermann's and Greek tortoises here in Cyprus (with sailors, not Neanderthals, of course).

I don't think I would judge humans during the ice age as cruel, since today's moral standards can't really be applied here. But very interesting find, the history of European pond turtles during the stone age and iron age is still being researched. Some research suggest that they were also kept as pets, not just food. Some have been found in graves but we can't tell for sure if and why they were put in by humans. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-analysis-mystery-turtle-roman-iron.html

First pet tortoises were brought to Finland in WWI (as "souveniers" by the soldiers and marines), mostly Greeks, Russians and some Leopards. Most probably didn't live very long but some might still be alive. It would be interesting to know more about the history of tortoise keeping, even though most of it is probably sad to read...

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

I don't think I would judge humans during the ice age as cruel, since today's moral standards can't really be applied here. But very interesting find, the history of European pond turtles during the stone age and iron age is still being researched. Some research suggest that they were also kept as pets, not just food. Some have been found in graves but we can't tell for sure if and why they were put in by humans. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-analysis-mystery-turtle-roman-iron.html

First pet tortoises were brought to Finland in WWI (as "souveniers" by the soldiers and marines), mostly Greeks, Russians and some Leopards. Most probably didn't live very long but some might still be alive. It would be interesting to know more about the history of tortoise keeping, even though most of it is probably sad to read...

I was just joking. Ice Age were hard times.. Either you eat or eat you.

I think some of the "ancient tortoise keeping practices" are still present in South America, where native tribes keep Yellowfooted and Redfooted tortoises as pets.

Reptile keeping outside native habitat regions is mostly sad, that's true.

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

I was just joking. Ice Age were hard times.. Either you eat or eat you.

I think some of the "ancient tortoise keeping practices" are still present in South America, where native tribes keep Yellowfooted and Redfooted tortoises as pets.

Reptile keeping outside native habitat regions is mostly sad, that's true.

Especially with the info they had back then... When the first tortoises were brought in to Finland it was still widely believed that fish and reptiles couldn't feel pain which was a great starting point... Tortoises were kept in small boxes with some hay and that's it. As tortoises are too hardy for their own good there was no knowing that what they were doing was wrong.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Especially with the info they had back then... When the first tortoises were brought in to Finland it was still widely believed that fish and reptiles couldn't feel pain which was a great starting point... Tortoises were kept in small boxes with some hay and that's it. As tortoises are too hardy for their own good there was no knowing that what they were doing was wrong.

There is still a lot of heresy about tortoise care. Often friends of mine are surprised by enclosure for my RF:
- But when I was a child, my tortoise was just living in my room
- How long did you have it?
- Two or three years
- They often live for 60-80 years or more
... silence...