Dental analysis of a 1.2 million-year-old tooth that once belonged to one of the earliest human ancestors has shed light on what ancient hominins ate. Hope you have strong stomachs because the following doesn't sound very appetizing.
According to a new study, the found tartar on an ancient tooth was able to tell scientists that raw meat and greens were most often included in the menu of our ancestors. In addition, the analysis showed the presence of deposits of inedible plant origin, remnants of butterfly wings and parts of the limbs of other ancient insect species.
“There is very little evidence that plants were actively used as food at that time. However, the findings of the latest study confirm this fact and indicate that humanity began to eat plant foods from the earliest times of its history,”says Karen Hardy of the Autonomous University of Barcelona.
“All food was consumed raw. We did not find any evidence that this food was pretreated.”
Knowing what our ancestors ate will help us better understand the big picture of how they lived. It is more important to note that this find is one of the key evidences that the most ancient human ancestors, who lived at that time on the territory of modern Europe, had not yet used fire. The question of when a person began to use fire for cooking is still a subject of heated debate. Some scientists believe that this happened as early as 1.8 million years ago.
However, the earliest archaeological evidence found for the use of fire points to a period of 800,000 years ago. The signs on the examined tooth show no evidence of cooked food, suggesting that fire technologies were first used by humans sometime between 1.2 million and 800,000 years ago. However, these are only assumptions.
In addition, the team notes that the condition of the tooth indicates that the ancient analogue of the toothbrush had not yet been invented at that time. Ancient people most likely used thin sticks and twigs to brush their teeth. Earlier studies indicated that humans began to pay attention to dental health about 49,000 years ago.
“Additional biographical information includes fragments of inedible wood found in the interdental groove, from which hygienic activity can be assumed. At the same time, the found plant fibers may indicate rough processing of the material,”the research team said.
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The tooth itself is part of a jaw plate found in Sime del Elephanta, which is located in the Spanish excavation area of the Sierra de Atapuerca. The oldest remains of primitive people ever found were discovered here.
The analysis of the tooth was carried out using an ultrasonic scaler, with the help of which the scientists removed the plaque mineralized into tartar. After that, several three-dimensional scanning processes were carried out for the detection of micro-deposits in it. It was thanks to this that scientists discovered particles of wood, animal tissue and even the plant pathogen Alternaria, which is a well-known trigger of asthma and hay fever (hay fever).
Despite the fact that at the moment there is not enough taxonomic evidence to accurately determine which species of ancient man these bones belonged to, the evidence on hand indicates that the diet of this ancient man mainly consisted of raw food, since man has not yet mastered that moment of fire. But even despite the lack of sophistication in cooking, the signs on the tooth speak of a very rich diet, which included, among other things, vegetable grains, herbs and, of course, various types of animal food.
“It is likely that the plant traces found are proof that ancient people were already able to consume plant foods at that time. Cereals contain a lot of seeds in a very compact head that could be chewed. The most ideal time for harvesting was the moment before the ears are fully ripe and dry."
“In this case, we can note the consumption of at least two types of starchy plants. And this is if we do not talk about direct evidence of meat consumption, as well as the presence of residues of other plant components. All this may indicate that the population of primitive Europeans already had a clear idea of food sources and had a fairly varied diet."
Further studies of the bones discovered by Sime del Elephanta may well provide scientists with even more detailed information about how our ancient ancestors lived, ate and died, which will create a more complete picture of our past.
NIKOLAY KHIZHNYAK