Dear all,

As you want the list more active, I thought I would share a quick update.

I am writing an MA thesis on ancient animal fat at Tel Aviv University under Profs. Oded Lipschits and Ran Zadok, triggered by residual analysis showing stored animal fat from circa 3000 years ago.

In November 2014, when I got the topic and broached the question, some of you made helpful comments with examples and references to consult, many of which are already included in my text - thank you!

The disciplines involved are archaeology beginning with prehistory. diet. Bible, nutrition, the different qualities of fat from different parts of the body, and from different animals; Ancient Near East texts, Mesopotamian medicinal prescriptions, Egyptian prescriptions; Greek and Roman texts as examples, anthropological examples from different societies, how they use fat, store fat, and how they relate to fat.

Currently I am looking at the range of potential containers for fat, the vessels used in Amenhotep III's palace, the finds in the Judean Shephela, and so on.

I saw a suggestion of fat being stored in leaves and kept dry and cool, but I seek sources.

I have also reviewed some techniques of rendering, and it does not seem like something ancient man and certainly Bronze and Iron Age man could not master. But I seek sources.

The symphony is gradually coming together.

So again, your help is welcomed regarding ancient methods for rendering and storing fat, textual references, more anthropological references, and so on.

This fat is not inert...

Yours,

Barnea Levi Selavan