In general, researchers took a look at 74 people from 28 historical sites and exposed “direct proof for widespread consumption of seaweed and submerged water and freshwater plants.” Out of the 74, almost half (33) taken in seaweed.
Image credits: Ben Wicks.
Scientists have discovered indications of seaweed usage. They analyzed biomarkers found in human oral calculus (tartar) utilizing advanced strategies. Significantly, this wasnt a one-off thing. The practice was spread from Spain to Lithuania, spanning a period from 6400 BC to the Early Middle Ages.
Seaweed is an extremely healthy food that has been taken in by various cultures around the world for centuries. Apparently, ancient Europeans were well on the seaweed hype train before everybody else.
Nowadays, seaweed is viewed as a new or exotic Age type of food in Europe. Back in the day– by which I indicate 8,000 years earlier– it was rather common. An analysis of ancient teeth revealed that seaweed was popular in Europe from the Mesolithic duration up until the Middle Ages.
A huge dietary surprise
Samples from twenty-eight websites were evaluated. Of these, samples from 15 websites produced recognizable biomarkers extracted from samples of dental calculus Image credits: Buckley et al
. This isnt something researchers were expecting to discover. In reality, its surprising for several reasons. The very first factor is timing: obviously, Europeans were consuming seaweed way before individuals in the Far East, which is where seaweed is stil a popular food to this day. The 2nd is that this recommends that ancient individuals would have been aware of the dietary benefits of seaweed.
Dr Stephen Buckley, from the Department of Archaeology at the University of York, explains:
” Our study also highlights the capacity for rediscovery of option, regional, sustainable food resources that may contribute to addressing the unfavorable health and environmental results of over-dependence on a small number of mass-produced agricultural items that is a dominant feature of much these dayss western diet, and indeed the worldwide long-distance food supply more typically.”.
The crucial significance of this study is that people utilized to consume seaweed thousands of years earlier, and continued to do for many centuries. Maybe this would make us more most likely to consider this food also.
Nowadays, seaweed is seen as a new or unique Age type of food in Europe. Seaweed is a highly healthy food that has been taken in by various cultures around the world for centuries. The very first reason is timing: apparently, Europeans were consuming seaweed method before people in the Far East, which is where seaweed is stil a popular food to this day. Seaweed has actually frequently been thought about a food of last resort, being utilized in times of famine, warfare, or other catastrophes– where it would have been of big aid thanks to its nutritious content.
” This strongly recommends that the dietary advantages of seaweed were adequately well understood by these ancient populations that they kept their dietary relate to the sea.”.
” The biomolecular proof in this research study is over 3 thousand years earlier than historical proof in the Far East.”.
” Freshwater, today and seaweed water plants are essentially missing from traditional, western diet plans and their marginalization as they slowly altered from food to scarcity resources and animal fodder, probably took place over an extended period of time, as has actually also been identified elsewhere with some plants..
A dish of pickled spicy seaweed. Image by means of Wiki Commons.
This is even more surprising because historic mentions of seaweed consumption in Europe are scarce. There are some discusses of it as an anti-scurvy remedy or some British laws for the collection of seaweed, however these are isolated points out. Seaweed has actually frequently been thought about a food of last resort, being utilized in times of starvation, warfare, or other catastrophes– where it would have been of big assistance thanks to its nutritious content.
Its uncertain how essential or typical seaweed would have been as a food source, but it might have been an enhance to routine diets. Individuals might have foraged it the very same method we foraged mushrooms or berries.
” Not only does this new proof reveal that seaweed was being consumed in Europe throughout the Mesolithic Period around 8,000 years earlier when marine resources were known to have been made use of, however that it continued into the Neolithic when it is usually presumed that the introduction of farming led to the desertion of marine dietary resources.”.
Nowadays, there are around 10,000 different species of seaweed on the planet. Out of them, just 145 species are consumed today, mainly in Asia. In Europe and the United States, seaweed is frequently viewed as a novelty or exotic food– however scientists hope that with this research study, they can encourage individuals that seaweed has actually long been a popular food.
The research study was published in the journal Nature.
Karen Hardy, Professor of Prehistoric Archaeology at the University of Glasgow and Principal Investigator of the Powerful Plants project says its exciting to reveal that seaweed and freshwater plants were consumed over an extended period.
Seaweed past and present.
In Europe and the US, seaweed is typically seen as a novelty or exotic food– but scientists hope that with this study, they can encourage people that seaweed has long been a popular food.
