Food Culture: The European Mesolithic.

Progress in Physical Geography 23,1 (1999) pp. 37?56
Domestication and the origins of agriculture: an appraisal
A.M. Mannion


"
Plant remains from Wadi Kubbaniya in Egypt also attest to
the exploitation of a range of plant species in preagricultural
times. These remains are dated to between 18 K and 17 K years BP;
some 25 different types of seeds, fruits and vegetable tissue have
been identified, the modern species of which are used by presentday
hunter-gatherers (Hillman, 1989). A recent survey of plant use and
the remains of food-processing apparatus in Europe by Zvelebil
(1994) also highlights evidence for the consumption of hazelnuts,
acorns and water chestnuts. In addition, Kubiakmartens (1996) has
presented evidence from Calowanie, an upper Palaeolithic/Mesolithic
site in the Polish plain which was used as a habitation site
between c. 11.4 K years BP and 8.3 K years BP, which indicates that
roots and tubers of arrowhead (Sagittaria sagittifolia) and
knotgrasses (Polygonum spp.) were being consumed.
"

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi?
mode=Undef&id=4447&lvl=3&lin=f&keep=1&srchmode=1&unlock

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi


Am J Phys Anthropol. 2006 Mar;129(3):339-48. Links
Interpersonal violence at Lepenski Vir Mesolithic/Neolithic complex
of the Iron Gates Gorge (Serbia-Romania).Roksandic M, Djuric M,
Rakocevic Z, Seguin K.

The Mesolithic populations of the Danube River's Iron Gates Gorge
(Serbia/Romania) spanned over 1,500 years (from before 7000 bc to
around 5500 bc) in one of the most favorable foraging environments
of Europe. Over most of these 1,500 years, the dominant economy was
foraging, but farming was practiced by communities in the region
from around 6500 bc. This research examines individuals from four
sites on the Danube (Lepenski Vir, Vlasac, Padina, and Hajducka
Vodenica) whose traumatic lesions can be most plausibly interpreted
as resulting from violent interactions. Given over four hundred
individuals buried at these sites (MNI = 418), the episodes of
violent interactions were few and without evidence of a specific
temporal pattern. They probably represent sporadic episodes of
interpersonal conflict that do not support the notion of endemic
warfare deemed typical of the Mesolithic, or elevated levels of
interpersonal/intertribal conflict at the time of contact with
farming communities. The difference in patterns of violence between
the Mesolithic sites on the right bank of the Danube and a coeval
site of Schela Cladovei on the left bank is explained in terms of
differences in archaeological context, geographic location, and
possibly specific local histories. (c) 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.


Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 1999 Jan 29;354(1379):65-75;
discussion 75-6. Documenting the diet in ancient human populations
through stable

Fundamental to the understanding of human history is the ability to
make interpretations based on artefacts and other remains which are
used to gather information about an ancient population. Sequestered
in the organic matrices of these remains can be information, for
example, concerning incidence of disease, genetic defects and diet.
Stable isotopic compositions, especially those made on isolates of
collagen from bones, have been used to help suggest principal
dietary components. A significant problem in the use of collagen is
its long-term stability, and the possibility of isotopic alteration
during early diagenesis, or through contaminating condensation
reactions. In this study, we suggest that a commonly overlooked
material, human hair, may represent an ideal material to be used in
addressing human diets of ancient civilizations. Through the
analysis of the amino-acid composition of modern hair, as well as
samples that were subjected to radiation (thus simulating ageing of
the hair) and hair from humans that is up to 5200 years old, we
have observed little in the way of chemical change. The principal
amino acids observed in all of these samples are essentially
identical in relative abundances and content. Dominating the
compositions are serine, glutamic acid, threonine, glycine and
leucine, respectively accounting for approximately 15%, 17%, 10%,
8% and 8% of the total hydrolysable amino acids. Even minor
components (for example, alanine, valine, isoleucine) show similar
constancy between the samples of different ages. This constancy
clearly indicates minimal alteration of the amino-acid composition
of the hair. Further, it would indicate that hair is well preserved
and is amenable to isotopic analysis as a tool for distinguishing
sources of nutrition. Based on this observation, we have
isotopically characterized modern individuals for whom the diet has
been documented. Both stable nitrogen and carbon isotope
compositions were assessed, and together provide an indication of
trophic status, and principal type (C3 or C4) of vegetation
consumed. True vegans have nitrogen isotope compositions of about
7/1000 whereas humans consuming larger amounts of meat, eggs, or
milk are more enriched in the heavy nitrogen isotope. We have also
analysed large cross-sections of modern humans from North America
and Europe to provide an indication of the variability seen in a
population (the supermarket diet). There is a wide diversity in
both carbon and nitrogen isotope values based at least partially on
the levels of seafood, corn-fed beef and grains in the diets.
Following analysis of the ancient hair, we have observed similar
trends in certain ancient populations. For example, the Coptics of
Egypt (1000 BP) and Chinchorro of Chile (5000-800 BP) have diets of
similar diversity to those observed in the modern group but were
isotopically influenced by local nutritional sources. In other
ancient hair (Egyptian Late Middle Kingdom mummies, ca. 4000 BP),
we have observed a much more uniform isotopic signature, indicating
a more constant diet. We have also recognized a primary vegetarian
component in the diet of the Neolithic Ice Man of the Oetztaler
Alps (5200 BP). In certain cases, it appears that sulphur isotopes
may help to further constrain dietary interpretations, owing to the
good preservation and sulphur content of hair. It appears that
analysis of the often-overlooked hair in archaeological sites may
represent a significant new approach for understanding ancient
human communities.

J Hum Evol. 2005 Sep;49(3):390-4. Links
Isotope evidence for the intensive use of marine foods by Late
Upper Palaeolithic humans.Richards MP, Jacobi R, Cook J, Pettitt
PB, Stringer CB.

We report here on direct evidence for the intensive consumption of
marine foods by anatomically modern humans at approximately 12,000
years ago. We undertook isotopic analysis of bone collagen from
three humans, dating to the late Palaeolithic, from the site of
Kendrick's Cave in North Wales, UK. The isotopic measurements of
their bone collagen indicated that ca. 30% of their dietary protein
was from marine sources, which we interpret as likely being high
trophic level marine organisms such as marine mammals. This
indicates that towards the end of the Pleistocene modern humans
were pursuing a hunting strategy that incorporated both marine and
terrestrial mammals. This is the first occurrence of the intensive
use of marine resources, specifically marine mammals, that becomes
even more pronounced in the subsequent Mesolithic period.


[Coming out the LGM I would imagine that the population north of
the channel subsisted almost entirely on fish. ]

What were people in the mesolithic eating?

Protein - fish, hazelnuts, acrons.
Oild - fishoil, hazelnut oils and acron oils
Carbs - Yucca like tubers, knot weed, grass seeds.

Some were agrarian, such as in hungary already engaged in farming.
Interpersonal violence was apparent.







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Relevant Pages

  • Re: Food Culture: The European Mesolithic.
    ... example, concerning incidence of disease, genetic defects and diet. ... analysis of the amino-acid composition of modern hair, ... the hair) and hair from humans that is up to 5200 years old, ... True vegans have nitrogen isotope compositions of about ...
    (sci.archaeology)
  • Re: Food Culture: The European Mesolithic.
    ... we have isotopically characterized modern ... individuals for whom the diet has been documented. ... nitrogen isotope compositions of about 7/1000 whereas humans ... Isotope evidence for the intensive use of marine foods by Late ...
    (sci.archaeology)
  • Re: Food Culture: The European Mesolithic.
    ... we have isotopically characterized modern ... individuals for whom the diet has been documented. ... nitrogen isotope compositions of about 7/1000 whereas humans ... Isotope evidence for the intensive use of marine foods by Late ...
    (sci.archaeology)