These findings cast doubt on the Paleo diet.
A worldwide team of scientists has uncovered new information suggesting Stone Age people ate a predominantly vegan diet.
By now, many people have imagined early cavemen hunting wild animals and then roasting them over an open fire for their entire family to eat.
Traditionally, the Paleo diet has been one of our most common eating styles, originating from the Paleolithic era over 2 million years ago.
According to the Harvard School of Public Health, our ancestors used simple stone tools that were not advanced enough to grow and cultivate plants, so they hunted, fished, and gathered wild plants for food.
The diet includes lean meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, and is centered around protein intake.
Now, according to new research published by the organization journal of natural ecology and evolutionthere is abundant evidence that the diet of these late Stone Age hunter-gatherers contained plant ingredients.
The study focused on an area in Morocco called Tafrarat, which is home to one of the oldest cemeteries in North Africa, dating back about 15,000 years ago.
The team used bones and teeth to study the chemical signatures of remains believed to be from the Paleolithic Age, using a method called stable isotope analysis, which maps the nitrogen and zinc isotopes found in tooth enamel and collagen.
It turns out that preconceived notions of meat being the main source of protein during this period did not hold true, with a variety of plant foods such as acorns, pine nuts and wild legumes constituting “significant” sources of protein. part of the diet of these cavemen.
“Our analysis shows that the diets of these hunter-gatherer groups were high in plants, wild plants, changing our understanding of the diets of pre-agricultural populations,” said Zineb Moubtahij, the study's lead author.
In addition, researchers found numerous cavities in the burial remains of Taforalte Cave, where the Iberian Mauru people rested their dead. According to the study, the cavities indicate consumption of “fermentable starchy plants” such as sugar beets, corn, rye and cassava.
The most striking aspect of the study is the revelation that this group of people had developed methods of nurturing plants to grow and harvesting crops thousands of years before the Agricultural Revolution.
The report states that these “hunter-gatherers also engaged in early forms of plant cultivation, such as intentionally growing and harvesting wild grains. This practice may have paved the way for the development of agriculture in the region.”
The study's conclusions highlight “the importance of the Taforalt diet as being dependent on plants, whereas animal resources were consumed proportionally lower than existing isotope data from other Upper Paleolithic sites.”
The research team plans to continue examining Paleolithic sites in North Africa and use innovative techniques to gain a deeper understanding of ancient eating habits and their impact on human evolution.
Related Links:
Archaeologists discover City of David that could prove the Bible is authentic
How Egyptians moved pyramid stones finally solved
Warrior buried 1,000 years ago may have been non-binary
English Heritage calls Hadrian's Wall a symbol of 'queer history'
#Scientists #find #cavemen39s #diet #vegan #groundbreaking #study
