Tag: Prehistoric food

Archaeological evidence from dental calculus reveals that Neanderthals ate a variety of plants, challenging the myth of a meat-only caveman diet. So, what was the diet of the distant ancestors, and how did it change over millions of years of human evolution?

A 2024 study of Stone Age hunter-gatherers in Morocco revealed that their diet included a surprisingly high proportion of plant matter, challenging the assumption that early humans ate mostly meat. While the 'caveman diet' is often portrayed as carnivore-heavy, the truth about whether early humans ate more meat or plants is far more nuanced and dependent on many factors.

5000 years ago, most of humanity was entrenched in the Neolithic Revolution, a profound shift from nomadic hunting and gathering to settled agriculture. This transition dramatically reshaped dietary habits, introducing domesticated crops and animals alongside the continued reliance on wild food sources.

While popular culture often depicts our ancestors as primarily carnivorous, archaeological findings suggest a much more varied and opportunistic diet. In fact, evidence from Neanderthal dental calculus shows they consumed a diverse range of plants, challenging the simplistic meat-centric narrative. This article explores the complex answer to what did our ancestors mostly eat.

Archaeological evidence, combined with studies of modern foraging societies like the Hadza, suggests that hunter-gatherer humans did not adhere to a rigid, three-meals-a-day schedule. Their eating patterns were far more flexible, adapting to the availability of food sources throughout the day and year.

Archaeological records show that early human ancestors consumed animal products over 3 million years ago, challenging the popular myth. So, were humans ever vegan? The vast body of scientific evidence from our evolutionary history suggests our ancestors consistently followed an omnivorous diet.

Evidence suggests that early hominins, potentially *Homo erectus*, were using controlled fire to cook food as early as 1 million years ago, with strong evidence from approximately 780,000 years ago. This revolutionary development profoundly impacted not only the diet of Paleolithic people but also their social structure and evolution.

Archaeological evidence suggests that humans have been consuming eggs for at least six million years, long before the domestication of fowl. Initially, the choice to eat eggs was a matter of survival, providing an easily accessible source of concentrated nutrients for early hunter-gatherers. Over millennia, this practice evolved from opportunistic foraging to a deliberate, global dietary cornerstone, shaping human history and nutrition in profound ways.

Recent archaeological findings have challenged the long-held belief that early humans subsisted on a primarily meat-based diet. The real answer to how did cavemen get protein is more complex, involving a diverse and opportunistic range of animal, plant, and insect sources dictated by geography and season.

Archaeological studies show residues of wild grains and tubers on stone tools dating back 100,000 years, confirming that early humans did consume plant-based starches. So, did cavemen eat a lot of carbs, or was their diet primarily meat?