Seaweed has long been an exclusively oriental dish, more often found in gourmet cookbooks and local delicacies. But it turns out they were also a common food item for Europeans for thousands of years.
The writes about this Guardian.
Evidence has been found in the teeth of people living from Spain to Lithuania from around 6400 BC. until the early Middle Ages. This discovery was quite unexpected, since it was generally believed that the development of agriculture during the Neolithic period led to the depletion of water resources. Moreover, in the 18th century, seaweed was considered food for starving commoners.
“Previously, we could not even imagine that seaweed could be eaten in Europe,” says study co-author Karen Hardy from the University of Glasgow.
The researcher and his colleagues analyzed samples of tartar and teeth from the remains of 74 people at 28 archaeological sites across Europe, from southern Spain to northern Scotland. All samples were dated to the period from 6400 BC. until the 12th century. Between 33 and 37 samples contained biomarkers that confirmed that these people consumed seaweed.
It is not yet clear how important a role seaweed played in the daily diet of Europeans. However, it is clear that gradually this product completely disappeared from the menu, becoming food for the hungry and food for animals.
“Cursor” wrote earlier that scientists at the University of Liverpool have refuted the idea of Neanderthals as primitive creatures who ate exclusively raw meat and berries.
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2023-10-18 07:48:51
