Archaeological Study Reveals Complex Plant-Based Diets of Prehistoric Europeans Through Pottery Residue Analysis
By
apollinaire
Crisped on the outside, thoughtful enough on the inside.
Summary
Archaeological research analyzing pottery residues from prehistoric European sites reveals complex plant-based diets and cooking practices. Analysis of pottery shards from different regions shows distinct dietary patterns: Don River basin sites contained traces of wild legumes, grasses, bran and barley; Upper Volga and Dnieper-Dvina region had more guelder rose berries and fleshy fruits; Baltic region showed higher traces of freshwater resources. The study demonstrates that prehistoric Europeans combined fish with a wide variety of plants in their cooking, indicating sophisticated food preparation techniques.
Key quotes
· 4 pulledThe team found traces of wild grasses and legumes, fruits or berries, green vegetables, and roots and tubers native to the broader region.
Shards recovered from sites in the Don River basin showed these people used the seeds of wild legumes (possibly clover) and grasses, as well as showing some evidence of bran and barley.
Shards from the Upper Volga and Dnieper-Dvina region contained more traces of guelder rose berries and other fleshy fruits and smaller-seeded Amaranthaceae plants.
SEM analysis of pottery residues showed people combined fish with a wide variety of plants when cooking.
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