Human food before agriculture

Has it ever occurred to you to think about what humans ate before the advent of agriculture? The answer may be shocking when you learn that there is evidence proving that ancient humans ate plants before the advent of agriculture.

According to the British "Reuters" agency, the emergence of agriculture approximately 11,500 years ago in the Middle East was a milestone for humanity. It represented a revolution in diet and lifestyle that went beyond the way hunters and gatherers had lived since the emergence of Homo sapiens. ) more than 300 thousand years ago in Africa.

While the scarcity of well-preserved human remains from the period leading up to this turning point has made the diet of pre-agricultural societies a bit of a mystery, new research is shedding light on this era. Scientists have reconstructed the dietary practices of one of these cultures from North Africa. Surprisingly, they documented a diet based largely on plants.

The researchers examined the chemical fingerprints found in the bones and teeth collected from the remains of 7 people, in addition to various separate teeth dating back about 15 thousand years, which were found inside a cave in northeastern Morocco. These people were part of the so-called Ibero-Moroccan civilization.

Analysis of the forms or isotopes of elements, including carbon, nitrogen, zinc, sulfur, and strontium found in these remains, indicated the type and quantity of plants and meat that these people were eating. The remains of various edible wild plants were found at this site, including sweet walnuts, pine nuts, pistachios, oats and legumes. The main animal they hunted, according to the bones discovered in the cave, was a type called Barbary sheep.