Longstanding Role of Seaweed in European Diets Unearthed by Archaeology
Researchers have unveiled compelling evidence that seaweed was a regular component of European diets for thousands of years. Analyses of human remains across a wide arc from the Iberian Peninsula to the Baltic coast show dental signatures linked to seaweed consumption. These findings place seaweed firmly within the food practices of communities stretching from roughly 6400 BCE to well into the medieval era, challenging the idea that early European nutrition relied exclusively on cereals and animal products.
In modern times seaweed has become an unusual yet celebrated ingredient in Western cuisine, finding a place in high-end cookbooks and contemporary gastronomy. Yet the new evidence demonstrates that seaweed was not a novel addition; it was once a common staple in Europe for millennia.
The discovery revises assumptions about Neolithic agriculture and water resource management. Prevailing theories suggested that the shift to farming reduced the reliance on coastal resources, but the archaeological record now shows seaweed was actively eaten during those periods as well. In later centuries, seaweed briefly fell out of favor as a food source, becoming associated with scarcity rather than abundance.
Archaeologists have long found traces of seaweed at ancient sites, but the interpretation remained uncertain. The latest work provides concrete evidence of usage as food rather than merely fuel or fertilizer, by identifying dietary biomarkers preserved in dental calculus. These molecular traces confirm that seaweed played a dietary role across multiple European regions.
One of the researchers involved described the approach: biomarkers found in dental calculus offer a direct window into what people chewed and ingested. By sampling dental remains from diverse sites—ranging from southern Spain to the northern fringes of Scotland—scientists analyzed the teeth of 74 individuals dating back to around 6400 BCE through to the 12th century CE. A total of 37 samples yielded biomarkers consistent with consumption of seaweed and related marine greens.
Beyond confirming seafood consumption, the team could sometimes infer the type of seaweed eaten. For instance, red seaweed appears to have been part of the diet at Isbister in Orkney during the Middle and Late Neolithic period, roughly 3200–2800 BCE, indicating not only the presence of seaweed in the diet but also a nuanced selection of species by time and place.
These findings collectively suggest that seaweed was a meaningful dietary contributor in Europe until relatively recent times, even if it is not a staple in today’s mainstream Western diets. The study highlights how historical foodways were shaped by coastal resources and cultural exchange, contrary to a linear narrative in which agriculture uniformly displaced marine resources without leaving a lasting culinary footprint.
Historically, researchers have explored seaweed’s potential in various food systems and ceremonial dishes, and some investigations have touched on its broader health implications. The most recent evidence emphasizes seaweed as a genuine dietary element rather than a marginal or exotic addition. The broader implication is that European nutrition once integrated marine plant foods more deeply into daily life than previously acknowledged.
Overall, the research reshapes our understanding of ancient European nutrition, painting a richer portrait of how coastal ecosystems contributed to sustenance, even as farming expanded inland. It also invites modern readers to reconsider the long history of seaweed in human diets and to explore how ancient dietary practices might inform today’s culinary and nutritional conversations.