Overview
- Published in the Journal of Archaeological Research, the review by S. Anna Florin and Monica Ramsey compiles worldwide finds indicating early, routine use of plant foods.
- Researchers mapped sites with direct plant-food evidence dating to at least 35,000 years ago and spotlighted Ohalo II, where charred wild grains and grinding and cooking traces were abundant.
- Evidence details grinding, pounding, cooking and detoxifying techniques that made seeds, tubers and nuts safer, more palatable and more energy-rich.
- The authors argue these processed plant calories supported human dispersal across diverse environments and counter the meat-centric “paleo” and modern carnivore narratives.
- The study cites human metabolic limits on protein—an estimated ‘protein ceiling’ of about 250–300 grams per day—highlighting the importance of plant-derived carbohydrates and fats.