Researchers from the University of Tübingen have uncovered evidence that early Middle Palaeolithic communities included a broader range of foods in their diet than previously recognized. Analyses of animal remains indicate that turtles, birds, and even carnivorous mammals were part of their subsistence, challenging the idea that Middle Stone Age diets were limited mainly to ungulates. The findings were published in Scientific Reports and add a richer picture of ancient foraging strategies in the human lineage.
The team examined faunal remains from Ghar-e-Bufa, a Middle Paleolithic site in Iran that was occupied between about 81,000 and 45,000 years ago. The excavation yielded a diverse assemblage, including not only large herbivores but also smaller prey and predators, offering a window into how scavenging, opportunistic hunting, and possibly seasonal migrations shaped food choices during this period.
Where early humans are often portrayed as prioritizing big-game hunting, the new evidence points to a more nuanced pattern. While ungulates still dominated the assemblage, carnivorous mammals and turtles appear in significant numbers, suggesting a flexible foraging strategy that integrated a variety of ecological niches. This broader diet aligns with adaptive behaviors seen in other Pleistocene populations, who exploited a mix of meat, bone marrow, and possibly aquatic resources when available.
About three-quarters of the identified animal remains from Ghar-e-Bouf belong to ungulates, spanning the spectrum from small to very large species such as wild goats, wild boars, and horses. The collection also includes bones from multiple bird species and several predators, including red foxes and leopards. Evidence of bone processing, including tool marks and cut marks, indicates that ancient people interacted with these remains, while the presence of fire-related modifications on the shells of turtles implies roasting over open flames, pointing to deliberate cooking practices as part of their culinary repertoire.
In addition to dietary insights, the study contributes to our understanding of how Middle Paleolithic groups adapted to local environments. The ability to exploit a mosaic of food sources would have provided resilience in the face of fluctuating climate and resource availability, supporting population continuity in regions with patchy mammal prey. Ongoing work aims to clarify the seasonal patterns of this diverse subsistence, the degree of selective predation on different species, and the technological methods used to access and process these foods. The broader view offered by Ghar-e-Bufa emphasizes that human subsistence during the Middle Stone Age was more dynamic and regionally varied than once assumed, reflecting a pragmatic approach to survival in a changing world.
Remarkably, researchers emphasize that this discovery does not diminish the importance of big-game hunting but rather broadens the narrative of how early humans secured nourishment in challenging environments. The combination of hunting, scavenging, and controlled cooking demonstrates an adaptive toolkit that could support deeper exploration into other Middle Paleolithic sites across the broader region. These results invite a reexamination of how archaeologists interpret subsistence cues in ancient remains and encourage a more nuanced understanding of early human diet and behavior, which remains a key piece of the broader story of human evolution. [Citation attribution: University collaboration and published findings in Scientific Reports.]
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