8-year meal of prehistoric people

Two Dutch biology archeology researchers have published studies on a barbecue grill meal dating back to 7,700 years of prehistoric people in the July 2011 Archaeological Science magazine. This is considered to be the earliest direct evidence of the technique of hunting, sawing, cooking and eating animal meat of prehistoric people.

This original ' barbercue ' takes place in an archaeological site today in the Dutch Tjonger valley.

The remaining remains show that, after killing a giant Eurasian bison (aurochs), wandering hunters cut the flesh with a stone blade, then grilled it. The party members sucked on the spinal cord in the animal bones before they ' cup ' the cooked ribs.

The barbecue kitchen, dating from 7,700 years, reveals the cooking and eating techniques of Barbercue
of our ancestors. (Artwork: Discovery).

How can prehistoric hunters defeat this ferocious prey?

Professor Wietske Prummel, a biological archaeologist at the University of Groningen, one of the two study authors said in Discovery : ' Either the animal collapsed into a trap and then hunters sharp stones hit the head to death; or it was shot by a group of people with a stone arrow to die '.

' After killing the bison, the hunter group cut its leg and sucked the spinal cord, ' Prummel and his colleague Marcel Niekus explained on a stone blade found next to the excavated cow bone.

' Continuing, the hunters peeled off the skin and sawed the meat into large blocks to carry it to a nearby residence. The remaining cuts on the stone blade indicate that the meat is cut, separated from the bone very carefully '.

Afterwards, the hunters grilled the remaining meaty ribs and perhaps small pieces of meat on an outdoor bonfire. Then they ate them on the spot, ' their reward for their successful hunting ', as Prummel said.

Finally, the stone blade, probably blunted by too much chopping, was left and scorched by the fire used to cook meat.

This original meal took place more than 1000 years before the first agricultural cultivators knew domesticated cattle to settle in Tjonger.

Professor Niekus said: 'This group of people lived around the Middle Stone Age. They are wandering hunting groups. Hunting must be an important part of their survival . '

The study authors emphasize the above prehistoric people living in a relatively large area and frequented Tjonger to hunt bison. After the Stone Age, this area was rarely inhabited until the Late Medieval period, perhaps because this area was flooded.

Wild cattle must have been a good food but are not common for predators. It is possible that the bison is a giant animal and the hunter does not always kill them.

Bones were unearthed in early settlements throughout Europe. However, red deer, muntjac, wild boar and elk are even more popular.

When the first farmers arrived in Europe about 7500 years ago, they used the bison's habitat as a place to live and cultivate, gradually losing their suitable habitat and leading to greatness. death.