Study reveals dietary habits of Stone Age humans

 

A new study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution has shed light on the diet of Stone Age humans, challenging the long-held stereotype that they primarily consumed meat. Researchers analyzed the remains of hunter-gatherers from the Iberomaurusian group, who lived in what is now Morocco between 13,000 and 15,000 years ago, and found that plants were their main source of dietary protein.

The study used stable isotope analysis to examine the bones and teeth of at least seven individuals, revealing that they obtained most of their protein from plants, similar to early farmers from the Levant. This finding contradicts the popular notion that ancient humans relied heavily on meat, as popularized by diets like the Paleo diet.

The researchers also discovered a higher number of tooth cavities among the Taforalt specimens, suggesting that they consumed fermentable starchy plants like wild cereals or acorns. This is unusual for a pre-agricultural population, and raises questions about how agriculture spread across different regions and populations.

The study's lead author, Zineb Moubtahij, noted that while not all individuals primarily obtained their proteins from plants, it is unusual to document such a high proportion of plants in the diet of a pre-agricultural population. This finding is significant, as it challenges the dominant narrative of a meat-heavy Stone Age diet.

The researchers used a technique called stable isotope analysis to determine the diet of each individual. This method examines the nitrogen and zinc isotopes in collagen and teeth enamel to reveal the amount of meat consumed, while carbon isotopes can indicate whether the main source of protein was meat or fish.

The study also found evidence of early weaning, with starchy plant foods introduced into an infant's diet before its death at between 6 and 12 months old. This is unusual for hunter-gatherer societies, where extended breast-feeding periods are the norm due to limited availability of weaning foods.

The research only investigated the diets of one group of Stone Age hunter-gatherers, but similar studies have revealed similar findings. A study published in January analyzed the remains of 24 early humans from two burial sites in Peru and found that ancient diets in the Andes were composed of 80% plant matter and 20% meat.

Another study published in November 2022 revealed that Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens were sophisticated cooks, combining plant-based ingredients like wild nuts, peas, vetch, lentils, and wild mustard.

The work undermines the idea that a Stone Age diet was meat-heavy, a stereotype likely perpetuated by past research and present-day dietary trends like the Paleo diet. The study's findings suggest that early humans were resilient and flexible in their diet habits, adapting to their environment and available resources.

The transition to agriculture was a complex process that occurred at different times and proceeded at different rates, in different ways with different foods, in different places. This study's findings indicate that several populations at the end of the Paleolithic adopted a diet similar in terms of plant content to that of farmers, raising questions about why the transition to farming did not simultaneously occur among the Iberomaurusian population.