"A Brief Review of the Archaeological Evidence for Palaeolithic and Neolithic Subsistence"

The skeleton of a Neolithic woman in present-day Bulgaria.

Richard's text A Brief Review of the Archaeological Evidence for Palaeolithic and Neolithic Subsistence aims to reconstruct past Palaeolithic and Neolithic diets by analyzing the three lines of evidence that describe these diets. Evidence revolves around studying the morphological adaptations that our hominid ancestors developed, analyzing the material archaeological record, and observing direct evidence from carbon isotope analysis. Two morphological traits that Richard focuses on are the gracilization of the mandible and other cranial features, and an increase in cranial capacity; moreover, these adaptations provide evidence that there was an increased consumption of meat that continued throughout the Homo line. Organic plant remains rarely survive, whereas stone tools and faunal remains are more likely to survive and can indicate what our past ancestors may have eaten. However, these artifacts and animal remains do not give us an extensive and accurate description of the prehistoric human’s daily dietary intake, as these sites may have just been reserved for special and occasional feasts. Lastly, the stable isotope analysis provides detailed and accurate evidence on past diets, and the evidence concluded that meat and animal products were a huge part of the Neanderthal and modern human diet.

There was significant change in the archaeological record during the Neolithic period. Pottery, new grinding tools, and an increase in plant remains all provide evidence for plant and animal domestication during this time. Morphological features began to change as the Homo line adapted smaller body statures, decreased dentition size, and an increase in dental caries. The decrease in dentition and increase in dental caries are a direct result from the appearance of easier to chew and carbohydrate-rich processed foods. Neolithic human remains can also provide evidence for Neolithic diets, as changes in female skeletal remains show signs of grinding tasks and adds to the evidence that their diet consisted of grounded, processed food. The decrease of human health was merely a trade-off that humans made, as the adoption of agriculture provided enough food to increase population size and establish permanent settlements.

Sources:

1. Richards, MP. 2002. A Brief Review of the Archaeological Evidence for Palaeolithic and Neolithic Subsistence. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 56: 1-9. 
2. Image Source on itechpost.com

Categories: diet reconstruction, neolithic, palaeolithic, subsistence