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New Thoughts on Neanderthals' Diet
Archaeology ^ | Wednesday, January 2, 2019 | editors

Posted on 01/04/2019 1:38:06 PM PST by SunkenCiv

The levels of nitrogen-15 in Neanderthal bones are so high that they suggest the early human relatives ate more meat than do carnivores such as hyenas. According to a Science News report, paleobiologist Kimberly Foecke of George Washington University thinks those high levels of nitrogen-15 might be due to the condition of the meat that Neanderthals consumed. To check the levels of nitrogen in rotting meat, Foecke left steaks cut from animals that had been raised without hormones or antibiotics outside in a box covered with mesh, and sampled them daily for 16 days. Preliminary results suggest that the levels of nitrogen-15 fluctuated as the meat rotted, and increased during the first week, while the meat was still moist. Foecke says that could account for the high levels of nitrogen-15 found in Neanderthal remains, since the carcass of a large animal might have fed a Neanderthal group for several days. She will next test what happens to the levels of nitrogen-15 in cooked and smoked meats over time.

(Excerpt) Read more at archaeology.org ...


TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: dietandcuisine; godsgravesglyphs; neandertal; neandertals; neanderthal; neanderthals; nitrogen15
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To: SunkenCiv
Neanderthals are not extinct...

There are lots of them in Congress....

21 posted on 01/04/2019 3:17:56 PM PST by Deplorable American1776 (Proud to be a DeplorableAmerican with a Deplorable Family...even the dog is, too. :-))
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To: entropy12

I wonder if they discovered salt and preservation early on. A cave can be a good environment and drying meat.


22 posted on 01/04/2019 3:26:34 PM PST by dhs12345
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To: PIF

“Europeans like to hang their meat until the fly lava tenderize it then they scrape off the green goo. Likely also has high levels of N-15. Nothing has changed. The meat is really good by the way.”

Neanderthals probably spend a lot of time in caves because they are one of the best environments to cure meats. I like prosciutto but when I learned how it is made I was a bit grossed out.

“Prosciutto is made from the hind leg or thigh of a pig or wild boar. Once the leg is cleaned, it is heavily salted and left for two months in a cool, controlled environment (Neanderthal cave?). The salting process removes leftover blood and moisture and makes an unfit environment for bacteria.

After the salting process, the salt is washed from the meat and then left to dry age for up to 18 months. The entire prosciutto making process can take anywhere from nine months to two years.”


23 posted on 01/04/2019 3:39:32 PM PST by wildcard_redneck
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To: SunkenCiv
Commercial Photography
24 posted on 01/04/2019 3:46:56 PM PST by CaliforniaCraftBeer
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To: SunkenCiv

Aged beef........ yummmm

Shot ducks must be hung for several days before cleaning and eating


25 posted on 01/04/2019 4:00:53 PM PST by bert ( (KE. N.P. N.C. +12) Princess Gray Beaver, for President?)
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To: entropy12

I have found intermittent fasting to be one of the quickest ways to get rid of aches and pains and to stop a cold I feel coming on. Humans weren’t created to eat 24/7. Autophagy is important.


26 posted on 01/04/2019 4:07:02 PM PST by Recharge ("This is why America was founded; to worship the One True God openly, with no fear of tyranny" R.B.G)
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To: SunkenCiv
Wait a second, the English Channel was dry? No, no, does AlGore know that ice melted...

I guess the Neanderthals drove their SUVs around... )

Did PETA exist back then?

27 posted on 01/04/2019 4:13:14 PM PST by Deplorable American1776 (Proud to be a DeplorableAmerican with a Deplorable Family...even the dog is, too. :-))
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To: Recharge

Good for you! I have got rid of my border line diabetic condition, and lost fat around my waist (which I could not get rid of with plenty of exercise), and even my blood pressure is lower.....all with intermittent fasting. Just like all our ancestors...the Paleo people!


28 posted on 01/04/2019 4:20:26 PM PST by entropy12 (One million LEGAL immigrants/year is too many, without vetting for skills, Wealth or English skills.)
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To: entropy12

Have you tried 5/2? I lost lots of weight on that and still ate what I wanted.


29 posted on 01/04/2019 4:24:28 PM PST by Recharge ("This is why America was founded; to worship the One True God openly, with no fear of tyranny" R.B.G)
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To: Recharge

Sorry don’t know 5/2, but I am already at desirable weight, so I just wanted to get rid of the love handle around waist. Those are very hard to get rid of. I get all my calories between 10 am and 6 pm. I eat a lot during those 8 hours then only water or plain tea out of that time slot.


30 posted on 01/04/2019 4:29:39 PM PST by entropy12 (One million LEGAL immigrants/year is too many, without vetting for skills, Wealth or English skills.)
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To: entropy12

A thought on when they learned that cooked meat tasted better...

Periodically prairie and/or forest fires would occur burning down whatever vegatation and animals trapped in the prairie fire. Having been without food for several days and coming upon the burned carcass, I think it possible, that being hungry they carved meat off the burned animal and consumed it.

Having eaten this burned meat, they found it easier to chew, tasted better and was easier on their digestive systems and this then led to their bringing raw meat home and having a BBQ between the periodic natural, wild fires. The more advanced people would have had beer and or wine to go with the meal. Just a thought....


31 posted on 01/04/2019 4:47:48 PM PST by LaMudBug
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To: LaMudBug

Makes eminent sense, what you hypothesized.


32 posted on 01/04/2019 4:53:09 PM PST by entropy12 (One million LEGAL immigrants/year is too many, without vetting for skills, Wealth or English skills.)
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To: SunkenCiv

Maybe their own decay contributed to the high level of nitrogen 15.


33 posted on 01/04/2019 5:52:34 PM PST by gundog ( Hail to the Chief, bitches!)
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To: gundog

That wouldn’t work.


34 posted on 01/05/2019 1:01:41 AM PST by SunkenCiv (and btw -- https://www.gofundme.com/for-rotator-cuff-repair-surgery)
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To: entropy12
eat a lot in a short period of time

Sounds like the intermittent fasting thing ... eating between 4 to 6 p.m. and that's it. I'm told it helps with weight loss.

35 posted on 01/05/2019 5:50:46 AM PST by Lizavetta
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To: SunkenCiv

They found a poster: “The Paleo Diet. How Your Uncle Ate.”


36 posted on 01/05/2019 6:02:46 AM PST by Larry Lucido
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To: SunkenCiv; NFHale; sparklite2

“A Traditional Neanderthal Home”

They found a perfectly preserved fruitcake. No one would touch it then, either.


37 posted on 01/05/2019 6:06:11 AM PST by Larry Lucido
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To: Lizavetta

Many benefits! I will explain later why it works.


38 posted on 01/05/2019 8:59:45 AM PST by entropy12 (One million LEGAL immigrants/year is too many, without vetting for skills, Wealth or English skills.)
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To: Deplorable American1776

Yes all Democrats have neanderthal ancestors!


39 posted on 01/05/2019 9:01:03 AM PST by entropy12 (One million LEGAL immigrants/year is too many, without vetting for skills, Wealth or English skills.)
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To: Lizavetta

Not 4 to 6pm lol
More like do all your calorie intake during any 8 hour period to heal insulin resistance.


40 posted on 01/05/2019 9:04:16 AM PST by entropy12 (One million LEGAL immigrants/year is too many, without vetting for skills, Wealth or English skills.)
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