The History of Butchers

Meat eaters have butchers to thank for their favorite meals

Butchering animals is one of civilization's oldest and most respected professions. Guilds were set up during the Middle Ages that specialized in the slaughter and preparation of animals. From using sharpened sticks to modern cleavers, butchers have always fed hungry carnivores.

Early Man's Butcher Shop

University of Miami scientists and underwater archaeologists discovered the remains of a butchered giant sloth at a Florida sinkhole. The remains are thought to be about 12,000 years old. An earlier discovery of a sharpened stick and tortoise remains had led them to believe the area was used as a butcher shop for early man.

Butcher Shop in Ancient Rome

In the late 1880s, the Museum of Antiquities in Dresden, Germany, displayed an ancient Roman relief of a butcher shop. The butcher was separating a rack of ribs with a cleaver. In his shop was a three legged chopping table and hooks with dressed meats. Among them were pork joints and favorites of the time like udders and boar's heads.

London Butchers

Butchers honored their craftsmanship and often gathered in Butchers' Halls to sell their meats. The earliest reference was the mention of London's Ward of Farringdon Without in 975 A.D. The Worshipful Company of Butchers started in the 14th century and remains one of the UK's oldest guilds. Smithfield Market, a meat market for over 800 years, once had grassy plains that allowed livestock to be freshly slaughtered.

References

• National Geographic: Giant Sloth
• New York Times: Ancient Roman Butcher Shop
• Butchers' Hall: History