What did ancient Europeans eat? Latest research suggests that seaweed and aquatic plants may be important sources of food

Tech 2023-10-19 05:18:23 Source: Network

Beijing, October 18 (Reporter Sun Zifa) - Springer Nature's academic journal "Nature Communication" recently published an anthropological research paper that suggests that seaweed and aquatic plants may have been important food sources for ancient Europeans until at least the Middle Ages. This study found that based on chemical analysis of ancient tooth stones, it has enhanced people's understanding of European cuisine from the Neolithic Age to the early Middle Ages

Beijing, October 18 (Reporter Sun Zifa) - Springer Nature's academic journal "Nature Communication" recently published an anthropological research paper that suggests that seaweed and aquatic plants may have been important food sources for ancient Europeans until at least the Middle Ages. This study found that based on chemical analysis of ancient tooth stones, it has enhanced people's understanding of European cuisine from the Neolithic Age to the early Middle Ages.

The paper introduces that people still consume seaweed today, which is particularly prevalent in Asia, but there is limited archaeological evidence in Europe regarding edible seaweed and freshwater aquatic plants. During the Neolithic period, agriculture and land were occupied throughout Europe, but food from marine sources was considered gradually marginalized and even completely abandoned. Previously, there were views that seaweed was used as fuel, animal feed, food packaging, and fertilizer.

The co authors of the paper, Stephen Buckley from the University of York in the United Kingdom, and Karen Hardy from the University of Glasgow in the United Kingdom, along with collaborators, examined dental stones in the teeth of ancient human remains from various parts of Europe, ranging from the Mesolithic to the Neolithic and early agricultural periods, until the Middle Ages; The geographical range ranges from Scotland to Sweden, Estonia, and Spain. They linked the chemical indicators found in dental calculus to specific sources of marine and aquatic plant-based foods. Through further analysis and research, it was found that until the late Middle Ages, aquatic and marine plant-based foods were frequently consumed throughout Europe.

The authors of the paper conclude that their research findings indicate that both marine and aquatic plants have the potential to be used as local and sustainable food sources in Europe, whether in the Neolithic and early Middle Ages, or today. (End)

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