Scientists debunk myth of paleo diet followed by ancient hunter-gatherers
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Ability of early humans to process plants using tools indicative of high level of cooperation, researchers say. Ancient hunter-gatherers relied heavily on plant foods, particularly starchy plants, as a major energy source contrary to the popular belief that ancient human “paleo” diets were mainly meat-based.
![[Examples of some of the plants recovered from Gesher Benot Ya’akov percussive tools: oak, yellow water lily, and common oat]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/07/08/researchers-reveal-anc-4.jpg)
The research, published in the journal PNAS, found that human ancestors did not rely solely on animal protein, but consumed a diverse range of plant-based foods, including acorns, cereals, legumes, and aquatic plants. In the study, Israeli scientists assessed starch grains approximately 780,000 years old, uncovered at a settlement located on the shores of the ancient Hula Lake.
Excavations unearthed over 20 layers of settlement, fossilised animal remains, and plant remnants such as seeds and fruits. Scientists found starch grains on ancient basalt maces and anvils used by ancient human ancestors to crack and crush plant foods.
The ability to widely use such tools also offers insights into the social and cognitive behaviours of early humans. “This discovery underscores the importance of plant foods in the evolution of our ancestors,” study co-author Hadar Ahituv said. The findings contradict the prevailing narrative that ancient human diets were mainly meat-based as suggested by the popular “paleo” diet. Many of these diets, researchers say, are based on finding large numbers of animal remains in archaeological sites, with plant-based foods rarely preserved.
