Caveman Thanksgiving: Prehistoric Man Roasted Birds Too

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New findings, published in the October issue of the Journal of Archaeological Science, indicate early Europeans enjoyed a much broader diet than first suspected. We have known for a long while that early man hunted big game such as mastodons, now prehistoric bone findings show that early man also hunted and cooked game fowl.

The 202 bones, belonging to a species of diving ducks, and were found at Bolomor Cave near the town of Tavernes in Valencia, Spain. The ducks date to around 150,000 years ago, and seem to have been eaten with bad table manners.

“The birds were de-fleshed using both stone tools and teeth, and some may have been eaten raw.” – Ruth Blasco, Researcher

Other bone specimens showed burning marks, suggesting that the ducks were roasted before they were consumed.

The geological evidence suggests that these left overs belonged to Homo heidelbergensis. The remains of at least seven hearths also demonstrate that the large brained, tool making H. heidelbergensis was a master at creating and controlling fire.

The scientists also believe that advanced technology such as traps were used to trap the birds.

“The acquiring of fast-running and quick-flying small prey requires a sophisticated technology and involves obtaining and processing ways different from those used for large and medium-sized animals”

It may not be roasted turkey with all the dressings, but not bad for a Caveman Thanksgiving.

Source: Discovery News

Image Credit: Jose Luis Martinez Alvarez on Flickr

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