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Food remains one of the most puzzling elements of prehistoric life. While stones and bones endure through time, traces of ancient meals tend to vanish almost completely.
To unlock the culinary mysteries of prehistory, scientists need to be both inventive and fortunate. Despite the challenges, they've uncovered intriguing findings that may alter our perception of early humans, revealing them to be more sophisticated than we once believed.
10. Early Flour Processing in the Paleolithic Era
Evidence suggests that ‘Cavemen’ were consuming wild oats long before the dawn of agriculture, with some astonishingly ancient residue found on a 32,000-year-old pestle-like grinding stone.
This makes it the oldest recorded oatmeal in history. It was likely made through a four-step method involving heating and milling, marking the earliest known use of such a process to prepare plants.
The process produced oat flour, which was then either boiled or baked into flatbreads. These ancient groups may have been processing grains even earlier than we thought, prompting further investigation into similar stones for more groundbreaking residue discoveries.
9. Cheese for the Lactose Intolerant
A 7,500-year-old piece of pottery full of holes baffled scientists until biochemical analysis revealed traces of dairy fats, indicating that Neolithic people in 5500 BC had already mastered the art of cheesemaking.
Cheese, made by curdling milk with bacteria and rennet, was a revolutionary discovery of the time. It allowed people to obtain food from animals without harming them, boosting the farming potential of early societies.
This might explain why humans began domesticating cattle during a time when most people were lactose intolerant. Cheese, which contains significantly less lactose than fresh milk, didn’t upset the stomachs of Neolithic people and provided an essential source of fats.
8. Unexpectedly Diverse Paleolithic Pantries
Vegetables don’t stand the test of time well, making it nearly impossible to identify the exact plants that made up the Paleolithic diet. However, if vegetables were submerged in water, the lack of oxygen could have preserved them.
During an excavation in northern Israel, researchers uncovered vegetables and many more plant species than they anticipated our ancient ancestors were consuming nearly 800,000 years ago. The team found over 55 plant varieties, including nuts, seeds, and roots. The site also revealed the earliest known instance of controlled fire in Eurasia, which was vital for transforming many of these toxic plants into safe, edible food.
Nevertheless, the ancient people did enhance their diet with some meat and fat, including an elephant brain discovered in a previous excavation.
7. Fossilized Feces Suggests Neanderthals Were Relatively Healthy
Sometimes, archaeology can be quite amusing, like when researchers analyze 50,000-year-old Neanderthal feces to uncover its original colors. Using spectroscopic techniques, these fossilized remains (coprolites) have provided new insights into the Neanderthal diet.
Since the food was no longer intact when excreted by the Neanderthals, scientists focused on identifying specific compounds that form when bacteria break down meat and plant matter.
Neanderthals consumed a significant amount of large game, including reindeer and mammoth, but they also incorporated a variety of plants to balance their nutrition. This discovery challenges the idea that Neanderthals went extinct due to a diet excessively focused on meat consumption.
6. Prehistoric Toothpicks
Even with the best possible diet, cavities remain unavoidable. However, this didn’t always mark the end of a Paleolithic person's eating journey, as some individuals had access to dentists.
Researchers have now pushed back the history of dental care by several thousand years, after discovering a 14,160-year-old skeleton bearing evidence of dental work. This skeleton belonged to a 25-year-old who had experienced a cavity but had it removed with a flint tool.
At least some Paleolithic humans recognized the dangers of cavities leading to infections, addressing them—painfully yet efficiently—before they could inflict more severe harm. These early humans were also avid toothpick users, a practice evidenced by the numerous wooden and bone-made picks previously uncovered, as explained in the study.
5. Homo naledi’s Unique Dietary Niche
Over 300,000 years ago, several hominin species roamed southern Africa, vying for resources. One such species, Homo naledi, carved out a niche by consuming gritty foods.
Dental analysis showed that the Homo naledi teeth were largely similar to those of Australopithecus africanus and Paranthropus robustus, though they were longer, more resistant to wear, and displayed consistent chipping.
The evidence of wear and tear indicates that Homo naledi likely fed on food sources that were dustier or rougher, such as plants containing silica, or foods covered in dirt.
These silica-rich compounds, known as phytoliths or plant stones, help protect plants from herbivores. However, some species evolved high-crowned molars to cope with the grit, and Homo naledi may have developed similar adaptations to take advantage of this overlooked food source.
4. The Origins of Barbecue in History
Our ancestors first began walking on two legs approximately six to seven million years ago, but it wasn’t until about five million years later that the much larger-brained Homo erectus appeared.
Researchers propose that the turning point came with the discovery of cooking, which provided easier access to more digestible food sources. The earliest evidence of cooking comes from the Wonderwerk Cave in South Africa.
Analysis revealed a fire made from twigs and grass, dating back roughly a million years, along with charred bone fragments. The site, deep within a cave, rules out the possibility of the ash being carried in by wind or water.
Fire-chipped stone fragments, or pot-lid flakes, were also discovered, indicating that fire was used repeatedly at this site.
3. Ancient Tortoise Appetizers
Qesem Cave, located in central Israel, lay undisturbed for millennia until road workers stumbled upon it in 2000. Inside, they discovered an ancient settlement and a 400,000-year-old snack—tortoise.
The tortoises were processed using flint tools and roasted in their shells. However, they were likely not the main dish, as the hunter-gatherers who occupied Qesem Cave for over 200,000 years had a diverse and rich diet.
The tortoises were probably enjoyed as appetizers, side dishes, or even desserts, complemented by various vegetables. The main fare consisted of more substantial game, such as oxen, deer, and horses.
2. Mesolithic Mustard
Over 6,000 years ago, our ancient ancestors didn't just focus on the nutritional value of their meals, but also on enhancing the flavor. One of their most remarkable discoveries was mustard, which quickly became one of the most beloved condiments worldwide.
However, it wasn’t just ordinary mustard. It was garlic mustard. Archaeological finds of cooking pots from Mesolithic Germany and Denmark still show traces of mustard seeds and leaves. Experts suggest our ancestors crushed the mustard seeds into their dishes, adding garlic-flavored leaves for an added punch of flavor.
This discovery marks a significant shift in human eating habits, from food consumption solely driven by nutritional needs to the modern pleasure-driven approach to eating.
1. Saharan Veggie Hot Pot
Early hominins found cooking over open flames to be effective, though it often resulted in gritty, ashy meals. The next big step in their culinary journey was the invention of cooking pots, allowing for more diverse and refined dishes.
The first clay pots were crafted by humans in the Far East approximately 16,000 years ago. However, it wasn’t until about 10,000 years ago, based on discoveries from the Libyan Sahara, that pots began to be used for actual cooking.
At that time, the Sahara was a lush land filled with grasslands, rivers, and lakes. The remains found in these ancient pots indicate that humans consumed a wide range of green foods—leaves, grains, seeds, and even aquatic plants gathered from Saharan watering holes.
