Excavations at a Natufian site in northern Israel have revealed the burial of a woman believed to have been a shaman or spiritual leader. The grave contains an unusual assortment of grave goods, including 50 complete tortoise shells, the wing of a golden eagle, and the tail of a wild cow.
This burial provides unique insights into the ritual life of Mesolithic societies just as they were beginning to settle into permanent villages. The deliberate arrangement of animal parts suggests a complex belief system focused on animal spirits and the transition between life and death.