Ancient Humans Ate Grains, Vegetables

WASHINGTONNew research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests Neanderthals cooked and ate a wide variety of grains and vegetables as part of a more sophisticated, diverse diet similar to early modern humans. The findings debunk the theory that Neanderthals extinction was caused in part by a deficient diet that consisted mostly of meat.

Researchers from George Washington University and the Smithsonian Institution discovered starch granules in dental calculus, which forms when plaque buildup hardens, on the fossilized teeth of Neanderthal skeletons excavated from Shanidar Cave in Iraq and Spy Cave in Belgium. Starch granules are abundant in most human plant foods, but were not known to survive on fossil teeth this old until this study. The discovery of starch granules provides direct evidence that they made sophisticated, thoughtful food choices and ate more nutrient-rich plants, for example date palms, legumes and grains such as barley. The researchers also determined from alterations they observed in the starch granules that Neanderthals prepared and cooked starch-rich foods to make them taste better and easier to digest.

Neanderthals are often portrayed as very backwards or primitive," said Amanda Henry, lead researcher. Now we are beginning to understand that they had some quite advanced technologies and behaviors."