"We examined 85 pot shards. 58 of them had identifiable fragments of plants, roots, tubers, and leaves, including traces of carp and other fresh-water fish, viburnum berries, which kind of taste like what we know as cranberries, amaranth, beets, and an edible weed known as oak-leaved goosefoot."
"They were remarkably selective in what they cooked, too, and how. It's as if they were working out 'recipes.' The spoils of both hunting and gathering, piquantly rendered into cave meals!"
Research analyzing residue on ancient pottery shards from northern Europe reveals that prehistoric people consumed a diverse diet far more sophisticated than previously understood. Scientists examined 85 pot shards from 5,000-8,000 years ago and found 58 contained identifiable plant fragments, roots, tubers, leaves, freshwater fish, viburnum berries, amaranth, beets, and oak-leaved goosefoot. The evidence suggests ancient peoples were selective about ingredients and cooking methods, developing what researchers describe as deliberate recipes combining both hunted and gathered foods. This challenges the simplistic view of prehistoric diets based solely on bone fragments found in cooking fire ashes.
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