So ‘meat and veg’ were, in some times and places, a fair description of what Neanderthals consumed ... but how? Were there bubbling stews alongside fat-dripping roasts, or was their kitchen-craft mostly raw? Certainly that’s possible for some food, but cooking not only makes things edible, it also improves nutritional value and often aids digestion, whether meat or plant. While we’ll explore debates over Neanderthal control of fire in the next chapter, there’s good evidence for some level of meat cooking. Faunal remains that combine burning damage from different temperatures most likely
...more
