Archaeozoological evidence for traditional consumption of spiny-tailed lizard (Uromastyx aegyptia) in Saudi Arabia

A total of 145 skeletal remains belonging to the Arabian spiny-tailed lizard, locally called ḍabb (Uromastyx aegyptia) were found in various archaeological levels of the Late Pre-Islamic/Early Islamic site of al-Yamâma, Saudi Arabia. All the skeletal parts of the lizard were identified-skull, trunk, forelimb and hindlimb-and represent a minimum of 22 individuals. The presence of lizard bones mixed with other bones considered mostly as food-waste, and the identification of a cut mark on a tibia made by a cutting tool, suggest an anthropogenic origin for some of this material. Their strong skin was a source of leather, while their meat was often considered as an alternative source of protein. This appears to be the first zooarchaeological confirmation of the consumption of lizards by the medieval Arab population of Central Arabia, a custom known in the written tradition.