Neanderthal medics? Evidence for food, cooking, and medicinal plants entrapped in dental calculus

Karen Hardy; Stephen Buckley; Matthew J. Collins; Almudena Estalrrich; Don Brothwell; Les Copeland; Antonio García-Tabernero; Samuel García-Vargas; Marco De La Rasilla; Carles Lalueza-Fox; Rosa Huguet; Markus Bastir; David Santamaría; Marco Madella; Julie Wilson; Ángel Fernández Cortés; Antonio Rosas

doi:10.1007/s00114-012-0942-0

Neanderthal medics? Evidence for food, cooking, and medicinal plants entrapped in dental calculus

Karen Hardy^*, Stephen Buckley, Matthew J. Collins, Almudena Estalrrich, Don Brothwell, Les Copeland, Antonio García-Tabernero, Samuel García-Vargas, Marco De La Rasilla, Carles Lalueza-Fox, Rosa Huguet, Markus Bastir, David Santamaría, Marco Madella, Julie Wilson, Ángel Fernández Cortés, Antonio Rosas

^*Corresponding author af dette arbejde

200 Citationer (Scopus)

Abstract

Neanderthals disappeared sometime between 30,000 and 24,000 years ago. Until recently, Neanderthals were understood to have been predominantly meat-eaters; however, a growing body of evidence suggests their diet also included plants. We present the results of a study, in which sequential thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TD-GC-MS) and pyrolysis-gas chromatographymass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS) were combined with morphological analysis of plant microfossils, to identify material entrapped in dental calculus from five Neanderthal individuals from the north Spanish site of El Sidrón. Our results provide the first molecular evidence for inhalation of wood-fire smoke and bitumen or oil shale and ingestion of a range of cooked plant foods. We also offer the first evidence for the use of medicinal plants by a Neanderthal individual. The varied use of plants that we have identified suggests that the Neanderthal occupants of El Sidrón had a sophisticated knowledge of their natural surroundings which included the ability to select and use certain plants.

Originalsprog	Engelsk
Tidsskrift	Naturwissenschaften
Vol/bind	99
Udgave nummer	8
Sider (fra-til)	617-626
Antal sider	10
ISSN	0028-1042
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-012-0942-0
Status	Udgivet - 1 aug. 2012

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Hardy, K., Buckley, S., Collins, M. J., Estalrrich, A., Brothwell, D., Copeland, L., García-Tabernero, A., García-Vargas, S., De La Rasilla, M., Lalueza-Fox, C., Huguet, R., Bastir, M., Santamaría, D., Madella, M., Wilson, J., Cortés, Á. F., & Rosas, A. (2012). Neanderthal medics? Evidence for food, cooking, and medicinal plants entrapped in dental calculus. Naturwissenschaften, 99(8), 617-626. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-012-0942-0

Hardy, K, Buckley, S, Collins, MJ, Estalrrich, A, Brothwell, D, Copeland, L, García-Tabernero, A, García-Vargas, S, De La Rasilla, M, Lalueza-Fox, C, Huguet, R, Bastir, M, Santamaría, D, Madella, M, Wilson, J, Cortés, ÁF & Rosas, A 2012, 'Neanderthal medics? Evidence for food, cooking, and medicinal plants entrapped in dental calculus', Naturwissenschaften, bind 99, nr. 8, s. 617-626. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-012-0942-0

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abstract = "Neanderthals disappeared sometime between 30,000 and 24,000 years ago. Until recently, Neanderthals were understood to have been predominantly meat-eaters; however, a growing body of evidence suggests their diet also included plants. We present the results of a study, in which sequential thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TD-GC-MS) and pyrolysis-gas chromatographymass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS) were combined with morphological analysis of plant microfossils, to identify material entrapped in dental calculus from five Neanderthal individuals from the north Spanish site of El Sidr{\'o}n. Our results provide the first molecular evidence for inhalation of wood-fire smoke and bitumen or oil shale and ingestion of a range of cooked plant foods. We also offer the first evidence for the use of medicinal plants by a Neanderthal individual. The varied use of plants that we have identified suggests that the Neanderthal occupants of El Sidr{\'o}n had a sophisticated knowledge of their natural surroundings which included the ability to select and use certain plants.",

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AU - Brothwell, Don

AU - Copeland, Les

AU - García-Tabernero, Antonio

AU - García-Vargas, Samuel

AU - De La Rasilla, Marco

AU - Lalueza-Fox, Carles

AU - Huguet, Rosa

AU - Bastir, Markus

AU - Santamaría, David

AU - Madella, Marco

AU - Wilson, Julie

AU - Cortés, Ángel Fernández

AU - Rosas, Antonio

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N2 - Neanderthals disappeared sometime between 30,000 and 24,000 years ago. Until recently, Neanderthals were understood to have been predominantly meat-eaters; however, a growing body of evidence suggests their diet also included plants. We present the results of a study, in which sequential thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TD-GC-MS) and pyrolysis-gas chromatographymass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS) were combined with morphological analysis of plant microfossils, to identify material entrapped in dental calculus from five Neanderthal individuals from the north Spanish site of El Sidrón. Our results provide the first molecular evidence for inhalation of wood-fire smoke and bitumen or oil shale and ingestion of a range of cooked plant foods. We also offer the first evidence for the use of medicinal plants by a Neanderthal individual. The varied use of plants that we have identified suggests that the Neanderthal occupants of El Sidrón had a sophisticated knowledge of their natural surroundings which included the ability to select and use certain plants.

AB - Neanderthals disappeared sometime between 30,000 and 24,000 years ago. Until recently, Neanderthals were understood to have been predominantly meat-eaters; however, a growing body of evidence suggests their diet also included plants. We present the results of a study, in which sequential thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TD-GC-MS) and pyrolysis-gas chromatographymass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS) were combined with morphological analysis of plant microfossils, to identify material entrapped in dental calculus from five Neanderthal individuals from the north Spanish site of El Sidrón. Our results provide the first molecular evidence for inhalation of wood-fire smoke and bitumen or oil shale and ingestion of a range of cooked plant foods. We also offer the first evidence for the use of medicinal plants by a Neanderthal individual. The varied use of plants that we have identified suggests that the Neanderthal occupants of El Sidrón had a sophisticated knowledge of their natural surroundings which included the ability to select and use certain plants.

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Neanderthal medics? Evidence for food, cooking, and medicinal plants entrapped in dental calculus

Abstract

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