Prehistoric Greek Diet Revealed in New Analysis, Challenging Existing Knowledge

Franchthi Cave reveals insights into prehistoric Greek diet. Credit: wikimedia commons / efi tsif CC BY 4.0

A caller survey has shed airy connected the prehistoric Greek fare of the radical surviving successful Franchthi Cave, 1 of Greece’s astir important archaeological sites. Researchers discovered that aboriginal inhabitants relied chiefly connected land-based foods, contempt surviving adjacent the coast, challenging long-held assumptions astir past coastal diets.

The study, conducted by Simon Fraser University, the Greek Ministry of Culture, and the University of Bologna, analyzed quality and carnal remains from the cave, which dates backmost astir 40,000 years.

Using precocious isotope analysis, scientists examined bones from individuals who lived during the Lower Mesolithic (8700–8300 BCE) and Middle Neolithic (6600–5800 BCE).

Land implicit sea, nutrient implicit fish

Franchthi Cave, located adjacent the Bay of Koilada successful confederate Greece, was not ever arsenic adjacent to the oversea arsenic it is today. During the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods, the shoreline was up to 2 kilometers away. Rising oversea levels gradually turned the region’s fertile floodplain into a bay astir 4300 BCE, according to a 2018 study by the University of Bern.

The geographic distance, researchers believe, apt influenced the dietary habits of the cave’s inhabitants. The study, published successful PLOS ONE, recovered that humans relied heavy connected terrestrial resources, peculiarly carnal protein, with small grounds of important marine nutrient consumption, specified arsenic food oregon shellfish.

Key findings of the study

Researchers analyzed collagen extracted from the bones of 5 humans and six animals. Radiocarbon dating confirmed the remains’ ages, placing them successful chiseled Mesolithic and Neolithic timeframes.

Detailed isotope investigation revealed that the fare consisted mostly of terrestrial protein, specified arsenic nutrient from sheep, with nary important reliance connected seafood.

The Lower Mesolithic (12,000 BC-10,000 BC) individuals showed a beardown penchant for meat, portion the Middle Neolithic (6,500 BC-4,500 BC) samples indicated a somewhat much varied diet, including imaginable beverage consumption.

Sheep, a important dietary root successful the Neolithic period, grazed connected coastal vegetation, arsenic indicated by elevated nitrogen levels successful their remains. Meanwhile, pigs and dogs appeared to person omnivorous diets influenced by quality nutrient scraps.

Limited marine use

Despite the beingness of food remains and shells astatine the site, marine resources appeared to play lone a insignificant relation successful the diet. Any depletion of aquatic foods was apt occasional oregon seasonal.

Greek fare successful past time. Mostly meat, nary oversea nutrient pic.twitter.com/oPVwpDkZ3v

— Javed Alam (@jalam1001) January 21, 2025

Notably, the survey did not see layers with the highest concentrations of food bones, specified arsenic those from the Late Upper Paleolithic oregon Upper Mesolithic periods. This regulation means the findings bespeak circumstantial timeframes and bash not seizure the afloat grade of marine assets usage astatine the site.

Broader implications

The findings supply caller insights into the dietary choices of prehistoric Greek communities, emphasizing the power of geography and entree to fertile land.

By focusing connected land-based nutrient sources, these aboriginal humans demonstrated a beardown adaptation to their environment, contempt surviving successful a portion with imaginable entree to marine resources.

Franchthi Cave remains a cardinal tract for knowing however past humans balanced biology opportunities and constraints, offering a glimpse into the complexity of prehistoric life.