As archaeological artifacts go, food doesn’t get a lot of mainstream attention compared to, say, a hoard of old coins or an ornate sarcophagus. And yet, samples of ancient food and drink, even when only present as particles or residue, can offer researchers — and the rest of us — a delicious menu of insight and knowledge into the people who prepared them.
Granted, the food that archaeologists find is nothing you’d want to eat. Often, it isn’t even recognizable as a foodstuff. Yet these morsels of history can still shed surprising light on just how far back humans have made some form of the dishes and beverages we still enjoy today. Here, then, is a four-course meal of some of the oldest edibles ever found. Bon appetit!
