As far as I can see, no one has suggested they are

Ok I`ll reword my post.
If anyone thinks animals for consumption are humanely treated in China, look at this... (see prev post for links.

Or indeed, any animals at all...

and on a documentary I watched skinned alive in front of the marketplace...as were cats and that is DISGUSTING ABUSE

there is no excuse for that regardless of culture, finance etc

You will never change a culture by insulting those involved in it.

Did they have dumplings ?

Im thinking what shape ceratin things are to constitute a dumpling!!!

I went on a charity ride across Jordan a few years ago, the first organised by the BHS.

I went, because although I have lived in the ME for 15 years, I had never gone to Petra (the final destination).

I found that quite a few of the 40 women who also went (side note, never go on holiday with so many women) were extremely rude to the jordanian children trying to earn some money by giving overweight tourists rides on their donkeys up the hill.

Having some vague idea of the culture etc, and knowing that their animals, unlike ours, were not luxuries but tools with which they had to make a living, I suggested that rather than hurl abuse at the CHILDREN why not give them money for NOT hiring out their donkey to tourists?

This appeared to be somewhat of an "out of the box idea" but I demonstrated that it would work

We, and by that I mean the British (and other nations) have been extremely guilty of expecting other cultures to hink like us, adopt our religion, mores etc for OUR benefit rather than theirs. (I realise this is a sweeping generalisation and refers to history rather than the present but we use to view other cultures with a rather condescending air IME)

Is that meant to be funny?

I thought it was funny! Nice to bring some humour into it!

I don't think finding something in a pot from thousands of years ago is grim at all.