Meat from mammoths and fruits? What did ancient people actually eat?

In the photo, British researchers reconstruct a meal of ancient humans. The photo was taken in 1954.

Members of the British Cave Research Association held a formal dinner called “Ancient Man” in a cave. To participate, they had to adapt as much as possible to ancient times.

The participants dressed in sheepskins, drank from cups made of horns, and ate mushrooms, nuts, fruits, and the meat of wild animals.

But what did ancient people actually eat? The popular stereotype is that they ate fruits and mammoths. But why guess and follow stereotypes when there are discoveries that can tell us a lot about the ancient human diet? This includes teeth, the quality of which can indicate the diet. And findings of frozen humans with well-preserved stomach contents. Plus, microelements that are specific to certain types of food accumulate in bones. So it is possible to describe the ancient human diet quite accurately from a scientific perspective.

Of course, they first ate whatever was at hand. After all, agriculture appeared only about 12,000 years ago. Therefore, the diet could vary greatly geographically.

Our monkey-like ancestors mostly ate leaves, roots, and fruits. The latter were not easy to find and did not grow everywhere. For example, the stereotypical bananas of Africa were introduced to this continent quite recently (I wrote about this in an article, the link to which you will find at the end of this material).

Meat was rare, and our monkey-like ancestors did not eat it. They compensated for the lack of protein with insects.

Fruits probably had a significant impact on human evolution. Our ancient ancestors could produce vitamin C on their own, like some other animals. However, by getting enough of it from fruits and other plant-based foods, our ancestors lost this ability. Why produce something if it is easy to get?

Ancient humans learned to make weapons and hunt for meat. Ancient humans were already fully omnivorous – there was no vegetarianism whatsoever. And ancient people who dispersed from Africa all over the world were big fans of animal protein.

Homo sapiens practically did not eat roots, including other hard plant-based foods. Therefore, their jaws were not as powerful as those of monkeys.

What did Ötzi eat for his last supper?

In the Alps, scientists found a well-preserved body of a man who lived 5000 years ago. The contents of his stomach were thoroughly examined.

He was nicknamed “The Iceman” and given the name Ötzi, after the place in Italy where he was found.

It turned out that for his last supper, Ötzi ate meat from a mountain goat, including a fairly fatty piece. He also had a piece of venison, and he snacked on wild wheat and ferns. The latter was likely used for medicinal purposes, such as fighting parasites.

The meat was cooked over a fire. His diet over his lifetime was fairly balanced, as scientists found traces of all the key nutrients, including iron, calcium, and magnesium.

This supper was truly his last. Afterward, he died, most likely from violent causes, either in battle with an animal or other people.

What did ancient Britons eat? If you are sensitive, skip this section

On the other hand, the remains of hominids found in Britain show that they ate very specific foods.

Paleontologist Matthew Pope studied the remains of ancient hominids who lived in what is now England 480,000 years ago.

The discovered remains showed that they ate brains, internal organs, and even the stomach contents of horses. And from their bones, they made tools and weapons to kill other horses.

No wonder British cuisine is considered one of the most unhealthy in the world! I always knew there was some sort of backstory to it!

To be fair, these ancient hominids were not ancestors of modern humans, but instead were related to the so-called Heidelberg man. Their remains have been found throughout Europe, starting from 500,000 years ago. It is likely that the Heidelberg man became the ancestor of the Neanderthals.

By the way, don’t be surprised that the ancient ancestors of humans easily reached Albion. Previously, Great Britain was not an island. It was connected to mainland Europe. This land was called Doggerland.

A whimsical diet depending on geography

Sometimes, depending on the place of habitation, people had to drastically change their diet. I will talk about two such cases in this chapter.

Coastal gathering. An interesting phenomenon. Many seafood are washed up on the shore from the ocean. And ancient people, not yet knowing how to fish on boats, picked up, prepared and ate all of this.

Coastal residents played a huge role in the ancient human settlement of the entire planet. Later, these coastal populations learned to build canoes and expanded to islands and other continents.

Eskimos. Their bodies are well adapted to consuming fatty foods. They do not have classic problems because of this, such as early atherosclerosis. Of course, there are diets like keto, where a person eats food without carbohydrates. But such diets are not recommended for regular people on a permanent basis. Eskimos, on the other hand, are perfectly adapted for them.

Overall, the diet of ancient humans was quite healthy and beneficial.