What Did Cavemen Eat?
Prehistoric cavemen are known to have eaten ducks, fruits, vegetables, fish, legumes, nuts and seeds, among other items. Roughly two-thirds of a caveman’s diet consisted of plant-based foods.
Mortar-and-pestle type tools have been discovered in various locations throughout the world, which indicates that cavemen made their own flour. Analysis of these kitchen tools showed that the most popular flour that cavemen made was made out of cattails. Other remains found on these tools included: moonworts, burdock, lettuce roots, edible grasses and seeds, and rye. Because it is known that cavemen produced their own flour, it is highly likely that they used that flour to make bread and soups. The soups that were made could have consisted of any number of different vegetables, plants, duck or other meats. Evidence suggests that the small, fast-moving prey, such as ducks, that the cavemen caught must have been captured using traps, bird calls or other techniques. All of the meat that the cavemen ate was wild game, because farming had not been established at that time. Because of the lack of domesticated animals, cavemen did not have access to corn, grains or dairy. Although the cavemen ate healthy diets that consisted of all-natural foods, their average life span was only around 18 years. Disease, bacteria and predators all contributed to their shorter-than-average life-spans.
