The Lion of Miʿilyā: A Unique Find from the Crusader Period and its Contribution to Understanding Human-Lion Relations

THIS STUDY EXAMINES THE DISCOVERY of an early 12th-century Crusader-period lion tooth found at Miʿilyā, an important administrative centre in the region of Acre. The tooth was recovered from a winery, constructed to service the elite residents of the associated castle. The tooth is perforated with a circular hole, possibly for use as a pendant or ornament, and appears to be the only worked lion bone of any period discovered in an archaeological context from the Middle East. Through critical examination of medieval Latin and Arabic texts and analysis of lion-derived place names in Palestine, this article demonstrates the presence of lions in the region during the Crusader period and later, and discusses human-lion interactions, particularly through elite hunting activities. The evidence suggests that the lion in question was hunted during the first half of the 12th century ad, and that the tooth was possibly granted to a leading figure either from Miʿilyā or with important connections to the centre.