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Anthropology/Was there ever a vegitarian society?

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Expert: - 2/21/2007


Question
Hi,

Has there ever been a society that could have eaten meat, but didn't? [I.e., I don't include agriculteral societies that didn't have hunting or domestication--no moose, coes, or chickens)--if, indeed, there ever was such a society,]

Many thanks,

Steve

Answer
Dear Steve
To the best of my knowledge, no such societies are known to have ever existed in the historical or archaeological record.  Some societies have vegetarian castes, and many have economic classes that are vegetarians of necessity, rather than by choice.  Gorillas are vegetarian, so smnivory is probably something we share in common with the chimpanzee-human last common ancestor.
Cheers,
John Shea

Anthropology

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John Shea

Expertise

Questions about Old World prehistoric archaeology (especially Stone Age) of Europe, Africa, and Western Asia, prehistoric human and hominid behavior, primitive technology, origin of modern humans, extinction of the Neandertals.

Experience

>20 years as a professional anthropologist based at a research university.

Publications
Journal of Field Archaeology, Journal of Archaeological Science, Lithic Technology, Evolutionary Anthropology, Current Anthropology, Mitekufat HaEven (Journal of the Israel Prehistoric Society), Paléorient, Annual of the Department of Antiquities of Jordan, American Anthropologist, Geoarchaeology.

Education/Credentials
Ph.D (Anthropology) Harvard University, 1991.
BA (Archaeology) Boston University, 1982.

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