10,000-year cooking technique changes ancient civilization

Ancient people could use a heat-resistant pot to cook plants 10,000 years ago, a step forward to help form a permanent settlement towards a modern civilization.

In the study published in Nature Plants on December 19, scientists identified the ancient people who lived 10,000 years ago to eat more five grains than meat, according to Ars Technica. This conclusion was made after the team analyzed the chemical composition of 110 ceramic pieces found in the Sahara desert region of Libya, where there were many lush lakes, animals and plants.

The site of excavation is the Uan Afuda cave and the rock cave named Takarkori . This was the residence of humans during about 8,200-6,400 BC, shortly after refractory ceramics were invented in Africa 10,000 years ago.

Many plant residues are found in ancient ceramic pieces.(Photo: Sapienza University of Rome).

Ceramic pots are used for many purposes, including grain storage and processing. They can contain fruits, cereals, leaves and stems, mostly collected from rivers and lakes.

"54% of the residues are obtained in plant-based vats, the rest are animal fats or a mixture of plants and animals," the team wrote.

Ancient chefs are most likely to make bread, mashed cereals, stews and even syrup. According to Rana Özbal, an archaeologist from Koç University in Turkey, the ancients dropped hot stones into a heat-resistant pot to warm food. As a result, they can create a rich source of food, including plants that cannot be eaten directly.

When it is possible to eat a variety of plants, humans start settling in fixed locations and raising livestock. Children are weaned earlier by eating cooked soft foods. This means that women can have more babies and the child is more likely to survive.

Human settlements are now settled by new cooking techniques in caves like Uan Afuda. In other words, learning how to eat a variety of vegetables may be the first step of the human race towards modern civilization.