Dental Plaque Study Finds Insects in Ancient European Diets
A new analysis of dental plaque from ancient European remains detected insect fragments. Researchers concluded the insects were likely consumed by accident rather than as a deliberate food source.
discovermagazine.comResearchers examined preserved dental plaque from ancient European human remains and identified insect fragments inside the samples. The fragments appeared in low quantities and showed no signs of intentional preparation such as cooking or grinding.
The analysis used microscopic and chemical techniques to isolate and identify the insect material within the plaque. The same methods also recovered plant and animal residues that matched known components of prehistoric diets.
The study concluded the insects were probably ingested accidentally during food gathering or processing rather than selected as food. No evidence of regular or large-scale insect consumption was reported in the examined samples.
