The study entitled “Direct evidence of plant consumption in Neolithic Eastern Sudan from dental calculus analysis” by researchers from the universities of Padua, “La Sapienza” of Rome, “L’Orientale” of Naples, has been published in “Scientific Reports”. Coimbra and the Museum of Civilizations of Rome which, starting from the analysis of dental tartar, reveals the eating habits of human groups who lived in eastern Sudan during the Neolithic, between the 4th and 2nd millennium BC.
Resistant to post-depositional alterations and also thanks to the scarcity of hygienic practices in the past, dental tartar is very abundant in archaeological contexts and its study allows us to obtain important information on the lifestyle of our ancestors. In fact, they can get trapped inside plant fragments, fibres, pollen, bacteria and other residues which today allow us to reconstruct key aspects of the life of ancient populations, including those linked to diet, environment, health and lifestyle.
The analysis of the tartar present on human teeth dated between the 4th and 2nd millennium BC, coming from some archaeological sites in eastern Sudan, has allowed us to refine knowledge on the food exploitation of plant resources during the Neolithic in this region. “Until recently – explains Giusy Capasso, first author of the publication and doctoral student at the Department of Cultural Heritage of the University of Padua – the prevailing hypothesis was that during the Neolithic the economy in eastern Sudan was mainly based on pastoralism , while there was no direct evidence on the role of plant resources. Previous research had already found how domestic and wild plant species were exploited in northern and central Sudan. Other scientific evidence had confirmed not only the domestication of spelled, a cereal, in eastern Sudan already in the 4th millennium BC, but that the main African crops were widespread in this geographical area starting from the 2nd millennium BC”.
“However, although the importance of plant resources for the economy of Neolithic groups was known, we did not have detailed information on the type of plants included in the diet or on the transformation processes of these resources. This new research – concludes Giusy Capasso – reveals that cereals, legumes and tubers were an integral part of the human diet in eastern Sudan during the Neolithic. Furthermore, the study identified some preparation techniques such as grinding and cooking, providing new knowledge on food processing in the African Neolithic.”
“The study states Emanuela Cristiani, professor of prehistoric archeology at “La Sapienza” in Rome, has also made it possible to reconstruct some of the adaptation strategies of human groups in response to the evolution of the climate and landscape over time. In fact, we know that a starting from the 2nd millennium BC, in eastern Sudan there has been a drying up of the climate. In agreement with this data, the analysis of tartar has shown that from this moment sorghum and tubers are the only plant species included in the diet, as they are more resistant to arid climates”.
The study is part of the research of the IAEES – Italian Archaeological Expedition to the Eastern Sudan – of the “L’Orientale” University of Naples and of the ISMEO – Italian Institute for the Middle and Far East -. Since 2010, the activities of the mission, directed by Professor Andrea Manzo of the Asia, Africa and Mediterranean department of the Neapolitan university, have brought to light several archaeological sites, contributing significantly to the reconstruction of the prehistory of eastern Sudan. The analyzes were carried out in the DANTE laboratory for the study of Ancient Diet and Technology of the department of odontostomatological and maxillofacial sciences of the “La Sapienza” University of Rome, under the guidance of Professor Emanuela Cristiani, scientific director of the ERC Starting Grant Project “HIDDEN FOODS: Plant foods in Palaeolithic and Mesolithic societies of SE Europe and Italy” which aims to reconstruct the diet and technology of ancient hunter-gatherers through the integration of various anthropological and cultural evidence. (AGI) Rib