The Delicious Diets of Prehistoric Europe (Mesolithic, Neolithic, Bronze Age)

What did ancient Europeans eat between 10,000 BC and 3000 BC? In the Mesolithic era, the hunter gatherers of Europe were thriving in a range of environments across the Continent. From 7,000 BC Neolithic farmers spread across Europe bringing a new way of life, new languages, beliefs and social structures. Then around 3,000 BC, another great change came with the spread of cattle and horse herders from their homelands on the Pontic steppe all the way to the furthest corners of Europe, heralding the beginning of the European bronze age.

These three eras saw huge social, linguistic, and genetic changes but what exactly did prehistoric Europeans eat?

*Artwork*

Artistic reconstructions of the ancient European people are by The Beaker Lady in collaboration with The Chad Pastoralist.

For more reconstructions and information about early Indo-European culture, history, and genetics, please follow their work on Instagram:

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*My Links*

*Video Sources*

Plant Use in the Mesolithic: Evidence from Staosnaig, Isle of Colonsay, Scotland - Steven Mithen (1999)
Irish Cepaea nemoralis Land Snails Have a Cryptic Franco-Iberian Origin That Is Most Easily Explained by the Movements of Mesolithic Humans – Grindon & Davison (2013)
Plant Use in the Mesolithic and its Role in the Transition to Farming – Zvelebil (1994)
Hazelnut economy of early Holocene hunter gatherers: a case study from Mesolithic Duvensee, northern Germany – Holst (2010)
Experimental archaeological exploration of Mesolithic techniques for hazelnut roasting – Lage (2011)
A drowned Mesolithic shell midden complex at Hjarnø Vesterhoved, Denmark and its wider significance – Astrup et al (2021)
A late Mesolithic shell midden at Kilnatierny – Murray (2011)
Diet and Mobility in the Corded Ware of Central Europe - Sjögre, Price, Kristiansen – (2016)

(and more)

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*Video Chapters*

00:00 What did ancient people eat?
01:25 Video Sponsorship
02:56 The Mesolithic Diet
06:24 Mesolithic Hazelnut Processing
07:50 Mesolithic Proto-Farming
11:38 The Neolithic Diet
13:29 Neolithic Dairy Consumption
14:57 A Fish Eating Taboo?
16:49 Neolithic Feasting
18:05 What did Steppe Herders eat?
20:16 Broader Bronze Age Diets

[DanDavisHistory]

Thanks for watching. Please do hit "like" on the video, it really helps me out!

[DeadlyPlatypus]

There are a few reasons hazelnuts were probably so popular with ancient peoples:
1. The nut production is very low to the ground compared to other nut producing trees (hickory/pecan, walnut, chestnut, etc.)
2. Nut production occurs very early in the tree/shrub's life cycle. Only a handful of years after propagation, compared to decades for larger tree varieties.
3. Thinner hulls/shells compared to things like walnuts make them easier to process.
4. Thinner shells/hulls in relation to the amount of meat makes them more efficient both in weight and in bulk when gathering and transporting.

[Honeybadger_]

As a fisherman myself I'd be interested in seeing a video on ancient fishing methods as well as the taboo surrounding it among some ancient cultures.

[thirza]

One of my university lecturers always called hazelnuts the 'trail mix of the stone age'. People loved their hazelnuts

[danielderamus]

Mr Davis you raise YouTube to the level of the old history channel before the aliens stuff! Your voice is so impactful, your knowledge runs deep, and your topic choices are so specific and unique. The presentation is magnificent and attention grabbing. I absolutely love your channel and I’m not even into history that much but you make it soooo damn good!

[ario]

After four months of researching what prehistoric people ate, whilst living out in the wilderness subsisting only on a prehistoric diet, Dan Davis returns to tell us what he has discovered.

[davidemoras]

I Just graduated in archaelogy, my thesis was about the demographic distribution and the exploitation strategies of Natural resources during the paleolithic, mesolithic and neolithic in the north-eastern part of Italy. Getting to know what people ate in others parts of Europe makes me happy. Keep up with the good work you are doing, greetings from Italy.

[trajan]

The Mesolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Age videos are unmatched on Youtube keep it up. :D

[grovermartin]

Your discussion of fish and seafood not being eaten by the more inland farming culture reminded me that most of those I knew in the Midwest of the US growing up disdained fish, except in the form of fish sticks. I always loved fish, and when I asked others why didn't, they just wrinkled their noses, or shrugged, giving no particular reason.

[suzbone]

7:25 Charring a whole batch of community hazelnuts that large is such an epically "bad day at the office", it still elicits sympathy thousands of years later lol

[mnforager]

This such a powerful dive into our ancient diets

[thefattymcgee]

Dan you make fantastic content. But. These bronze age videos you make are the absolute best. You're the only person ive seen who makes easily digestable long form content like this. Thank you!

[CosmoCrank]

"I will make a video on the possible fish-eating taboo in the future." are words I never thought I'd be excited to hear.

[mliittsc]

A theory of pastoralism for Eastern HG: The EHGs abducted women (as you do), who knew how to take care of the animals. Bride stealing has been pretty common (practically universal) between neighboring peoples of different subsistence strategies, and once the woman has children, it is in her interest for her new community to prosper. When the practice of bride abduction is ongoing for generations, it becomes normalized in both cultures, and it is not unusual for "stolen" brides to achieve high status in their new communities. This sort of thing happened as recently as the 19th century in the American West. There is a very good book, "Empire of the Summer Moon", about Quanah Parker, a Comanche leader whose mother was a white abductee. I recommend it. The book, not bride stealing.

[AshSonnenDrache]

I come from a more linguistic background so it's absolutely fascinating to have a channel like yours flesh out the culture and customs of people like the PIE's but other prehistoric peoples as well. Love your videos!

[slashangryface]

Thanks for not using an annoying dramatic voice. And thank you for not using way to loud music. Subscribed.

[rabidspatula]

The fact bears were brought to Ireland by Mesolithic hunters floored me. Had no idea!

[johncoyote]

Bravo sir. I remember in grade school being taught that no civilization ever started without close access to water. It’s obviously because of the food sources it provided. So it seams seafood was a massive part of our early ancestors diets. Side note : My father has diabetes and he has found that the only food that doesn’t boost his sugar levels are grilled and broiled seafoods. Thank you for your work.

[ILikeCoconutsLots]

As any fellow foragers will know it makes total sense to spread seeds and nurture useful plants. Also curious how many useful plants and fungi there are which love growing in disturbed soil left by us. Most plants we consider garden weeds are in some way edible or medicinal. Bit of co-evolution going on there.

[oltyret]

The Lewis and Clark Expedition also ignored fish even though they were on a river most of their journey. It was the hunter/gatherers among them (Sacajawea for example) that ate fish while the men from a farming and herding background relied almost exclusively upon hunted venison and beef.