Porcupine unearths 1,400 year old oil lamp at archaeological site in Emek Hefer

Jerusalem Post ^ | March 23, 2015 | JPost staff

[SunkenCiv]

Archaeologists with the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) have uncovered a 1,400 year-old ceramic oil lamp with the help of an unlikely aide – a porcupine.

Last week, during a routine patrol at the Horbat Siv ancient ruins – a Roman-Byzantine site near Emek Hefer in central Israel, anti-antiquities theft inspectors found the oil lamp on top of a pile of dirt that a porcupine had unearthed while digging a burrow.

Porcupine’s live in underground burrows that can stretch to as long as 15 meters.

Ira Horovitz from the anti-antiquities theft unit of the IAA said that “the porcupine is an excellent archaeologist, a relentless digger... It often happens that porcupines dig their burrows at the site of archaeological digs... he skillfully throws the dirt aside, and with it whatever archaeological findings are in his path.”

IAA researchers inspected the ceramic piece and the other findings that the porcupine uncovered, realizing that the findings provided information on the time frame in which people inhabited the ancient site.

“The IAA calls on all porcupines to avoid digging burrows at archeological sites and warns that digging at an archeological site without a license is a criminal offense,” the Antiquities Authority jested.

[Tainan]

It's tougher than 'possum and. like 'possum, you have to change the water at least 4 times.
But, it is edible....somewhat.

[garjog]

[garjog]

[SunkenCiv]

Now, are those hedgehogs? Because it sez here that porcupines (which have American versions) are rodents, and hedgehogs (no native species in the Americas) are not. I don’t think I knew that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedgehog

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porcupine

[SunkenCiv]

[gnarledmaw]

Well, that’s because the porcupine shouldn’t be boiled, especially if it hasn’t had all the fat removed. After removing all the fat then slow roasting is the way to go. As he is a member of special forces Im betting he often cant have an open fire anyway. Hot rock roasting in an earth pit and buried for several hours is something he may be able to get away with if he is coming back to the same area because the rocks can be heated in the pit by a small stick fire and the whole thing is buried so it doesn’t leave a trail of smoke leading back to camp. Most of us can just stuff root vegetables inside the carcass and wrap it in tinfoil. Then place it loosely between two well spaced small logs and build a good stick fire on top of the tin foil. Do this in the morning before you head out for your activities for the day. When you get back youll have a very tender roast pork meal waiting for you.