Ancient Ostrich Eggs Reveal Desert Nomads' 7000-Year-Old Diet in Negev

• Archaeologists in Israel's Negev Desert discovered eight rare ostrich eggs near an ancient hearth, dating back 4,000 to 7,500 years.
• The discovery suggests ancient hunters and nomads used these eggs for meals, indicating their skill in cooking thousands of years ago.
• Excavation director Lauren Davis noted the eggs were found alongside burnt stones, flint, stone tools, and pottery fragments at a nomadic campsite.
• One egg was found directly inside the hearth, confirming deliberate collection and cooking, with the shifting sand dunes preserving them remarkably well.
• Ostrich eggs, equivalent to 25 chicken eggs, were a superfood for nomads, also used as water containers or luxury items; ancient people likely stole eggs rather than hunting the birds.