Ancient bones can give scientists important information about what humans were like in the past, but evidence of what fed prehistoric bodies is a little more difficult to find. is. Archaeologists usually have to use contextual clues to draw conclusions about what people once ate, or if they were lucky enough to find poop.
[Related: Neanderthals caught and cooked crabs 90,000 years ago.]
But protein and fat residues can also stand the test of time in ancient pottery and teeth.a The study was published in the journal on August 18 eye science Residents of the caucuses were found to be eating fellow sheep, deer, goats and cows during this period. mycorp period Bronze Age (ca. 3700-2900 BC). Millennium-old cauldrons from Eurasian sites were crucial in deciphering this ancient menu.
“It’s really interesting to know what people used to make in these cauldrons long ago,” said study co-author Shevan Wilkin, a biological anthropologist at the University of Zurich. said in a statement. “This is the first evidence that the protein in the feast was preserved. It’s a big cauldron. They were obviously making large meals, not just for individual families.”
of study We combine protein analysis and archaeology to explore the details of what was cooked in an ancient cauldron recovered from a Caucasian burial site in Eurasia. This region lies between the Caspian and Black Seas and extends from southwestern Russia to Turkey.
“It’s already been proven that people at the time were most likely drinking soupy beer, but we didn’t know what was on the main menu,” said study co-author and material culture researcher. Archaeologist Viktor Trifonov of the Institute of History says: said in a statement.
many Metal alloys have antibacterial properties Helps preserve protein on the cauldron. Soil microbes that normally break down proteins left on stone or ceramic surfaces are blocked on metal alloys.
The research team collected eight residue samples from seven metal cauldrons and successfully recovered protein from milk, muscle tissue and blood. The presence of a protein called heat shock protein beta-1 (HSPB-1) indicates that metal cauldrons were used to cook the tissues of deer and bovine animals (bovine, yak, or buffalo). . They also recovered milk protein from goats and sheep, suggesting that these people also prepared dairy products.
Using radiocarbon dating, the researchers believe that the cauldron may have been used between 3520 BC and 3350 BC.
[Related: Details of life in Bronze Age Mycenae could lie at the bottom of a well.]
The cauldron shows signs of wear from use, but also shows signs of major repairs. You can see that the kitchen tools that were repaired over time were valuable items that required skill. Such cookers can be important symbols of social status and wealth.
“It was a small soot sample from the surface of the cauldron,” Trifonov said. “Bronze cauldron of Maikop, 4th millennium BC”[E] A rare and expensive item, it is a hereditary symbol of belonging to the social elite. ”
In future research, the team hopes to explore the differences and similarities between a wider range of ship types. This helps us better understand what local people were doing at the time and how food preparation varied from region to region. Cooking is an important part of cultureSuch studies therefore help archaeologists better understand the cultural connections between different regions.
“If these vessels store proteins, then it’s likely that a variety of other prehistoric metal artifacts also store proteins,” Wilkin said. “We still have a lot to learn, but this opens up the field in a really dramatic way.”
