Conny Waters – AncientPages.com – A recent study reveals that thousands of years ago, European communities prepared elaborate meals using a diverse range of plant and animal products.
Traditionally, researchers have interpreted the diets of ancient cultures by analyzing fatty residues in pottery, a technique that primarily sheds light on animal-based foods. However, this approach offers limited information about plant consumption.
To address this gap, Lara González Carretero from the University of York and her colleagues employed a combination of microscopic examination and chemical analysis to identify plant remains consumed by ancient European hunter-gatherers.
What Did The Ancient Pottery Reveal?
The team analyzed organic residues from 58 pottery fragments found at 13 archaeological sites across Northern and Eastern Europe, dating between the 6th and 3rd millennium BC.
Example of a Mesolithic pottery vessel analyzed in this study. Credit: Lara González Carretero – CC-BY 4.0,
Their findings revealed tissue samples from various plants such as grasses, berries, leaves, and seeds. Frequently, these plant remains were discovered alongside those of animals—most commonly fish and other seafood—indicating mixed diets.
The specific combinations of ingredients differed by region, likely reflecting both locally available resources and distinct cultural practices among these ancient communities.
Each European Culture Had Own Complex Culinary Traditions
These findings highlight the significant contribution of plants and aquatic foods to the diets of early Europeans. The results further indicate that these communities consistently utilized pottery technology for food preparation, with each culture developing its own intricate culinary practices.
Experimental cooking with modern replica pottery vessels to recreate prehistoric recipes. Credit: Lara González Carretero- CC-BY 4.0
Additionally, this study illustrates that integrating multiple analytical techniques can provide more comprehensive insights than traditional methods alone, especially regarding the plant-based components of ancient diets.
See also: More Archaeology News
“While conventional chemical analysis tends to highlight the animal-based components of ancient meals, our combined microscopic approach has brought these prehistoric recipes back into focus.
Experimental cooking with modern replica pottery vessels to recreate prehistoric recipes. Credit: Lara González Carretero – CC-BY 4.0
We found that hunter-gatherer fishers were not living on fish alone; they were actively processing and consuming a wide variety of plants. This research underscores that to truly understand ancient diets, we need to take a closer look at these food crusts, quite literally,” the researchers explained.
The study was published in the journal PLOS One
Written by Conny Waters – AncientPages.com Staff Writer