By Bar-Ilan University29 Comments4 Mins Read
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A groundbreaking study led by Bar-Ilan University reveals that starch-rich plants played a central role in the diet of ancient hunter-gatherers.
A new archaeological study along the Jordan River, just south of northern Israel’s Hula Valley, sheds new light on the diets of early humans and challenges long-standing assumptions about prehistoric eating habits. The research shows that ancient hunter-gatherers relied heavily on plant foods, especially starchy varieties, as a key energy source. Contrary to the popular belief that early hominids primarily consumed animal protein, the findings reveal a varied plant-based diet that included acorns, cereals, legumes, and aquatic plants.
Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the multidisciplinary study centers on the discovery of 780,000-year-old starch grains found on basalt tools at a prehistoric settlement near Gesher Benot Ya’akov. This site, located on the ancient shores of Lake Hula, has yielded extensive archaeological evidence, including more than 20 layers of human occupation, fossilized animal bones, and preserved plant remains like seeds and fruits.
The research was part of Dr. Hadar Ahituv’s doctoral work at Bar-Ilan University’s Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology. He now works at the Laboratory for Ancient Food Processing Technologies (LAFPT) at Haifa University’s Zinman Institute of Archaeology.
The project brought together experts from several institutions, including Prof. Nira Alperson-Afil and Dr. Yoel Melamed from Bar-Ilan University, Prof. Naama Goren-Inbar from the Hebrew University, and Prof. Amanda Henry from Leiden University in the Netherlands.
Challenging the paleo diet narrative
The research contradicts the prevailing narrative that ancient human diets were primarily based on animal protein, as suggested by the popular “paleo” diet. Many of these diets are based on the interpretation of animal bones found in archaeological sites, with plant-based foods rarely preserved.
However, the discovery of starch grains on ancient tools provides new insight into the central role of plants, particularly starchy tubers, nuts, and roots, which are rich in carbohydrates vital for the energy demands of the human brain.
The study highlights the sophisticated methods early humans used to process plant materials. The starch grains were found on basalt maces and anvils—tools used to crack and crush plant foods.
These tools, the earliest evidence of human processing of plant foods, were used to prepare a variety of plants, including acorns, cereals, legumes, and aquatic plants like the yellow water lily and now-extinct water chestnut. Researchers also identified microscopic remains such as pollen grains, rodent hair, and feathers, supporting the credibility of the starch findings.
Significance of plant-based diets
“This discovery underscores the importance of plant foods in the evolution of our ancestors,” said Dr. Ahituv. “We now understand that early hominids gathered a wide variety of plants year-round, which they processed using tools made from basalt. This discovery opens a new chapter in the study of early human diets and their profound connection to plant-based foods.”
The findings also offer insights into the social and cognitive behaviors of early humans. The use of tools to process plants suggests a high level of cooperation and social structure, as the hominids operated as part of larger social groups. Their ability to utilize a diverse array of resources from both aquatic and terrestrial environments shows a deep knowledge of their surroundings, much like modern humans today.
The discovery marks a significant milestone in the field of prehistoric studies and provides valuable evidence about the dietary habits of our ancient ancestors, offering new perspectives on human evolution and the development of complex societies.
Reference: “Starch-rich plant foods 780,000 y ago: Evidence from Acheulian percussive stone tools” by Hadar Ahituv, Amanda G. Henry, Yoel Melamed, Naama Goren-Inbar, Corrie Bakels, Lyudmila Shumilovskikh, Dan Cabanes, Jeffery R. Stone, Walter F. Rowe and Nira Alperson-Afil, 6 January 2025, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Exposing the Big Game 
The discovery marks a significant milestone in the field of prehistoric studies and provides valuable evidence about the dietary habits of our ancient ancestors, offering new perspectives on human evolution and the development of complex societies.
Evidence shows that Humans “thrived on a plant-based diet!!
Hunter-gatherers has for me had the meaning and image of gathering with occasional hunting and meat. Perhaps it is more romantic to think of hunters gathering the meat, so humans as “meat eaters” makes for good drama. Of course, the hardcore carnivores among us like the image of meat-gathering hunters with the women and kids waiting for the heroically gathered meals.