This information was reported by T4, reports URA-Inform.
The study reveals the diversity of food prepared 5,000 years ago in Neolithic settlements in what is now Germany. Using scanning electron microscopy and chemical analysis, scientists discovered a variety of plant foods in food debris.
«Food crusts» contained tissue remains of several types of wheat, barley grains, as well as white swan foot seeds — a wild plant that grows like a weed and produces many seeds with a high starch content. Charred grains and ears of cereals have already been found in this settlement, but new research confirms that they were used for cooking.
Cereals and wild plants provided dietary diversity to the ancient settlers, scientists say. Grains played a key role in nutrition, and wild plants enriched the «diet» the first farmers in northern Europe. Barley was harvested at the stage of milk maturity, and wheat was processed in the sprouted state, which gave the porridge a sweet taste.
Chemical analysis of the ceramics showed that the ancient dishes also contained dairy products inside. The study shows that cereals and dairy products were likely processed into porridges for everyday consumption in the same dishes and formed the basis of a balanced diet.
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