Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Judi Lynn

(160,219 posts)
Thu Feb 20, 2020, 07:00 AM Feb 2020

Ancient Humans in the Sahara Desert Were Feasting on Fish 10,000 Years Ago


Aristos Georgiou 5 hrs ago

Researchers have found a vast number of animal remains—including those of fish—at a site in the Sahara Desert, casting new light on the ancient peoples who used to live there.

Recent investigations at the Takarkori rock shelter in southwestern Libya's Acacus Mountains revealed nearly 18,000 individual specimens, almost 80 percent of which were fish—such as catfish and tilapia—according to a study published in the open-access journal PLOS ONE.

The remains have been dated to between 10,200 and 4,650 years ago, covering much of the early middle and Holocene period—the current geological epoch. The rest of the remains consisted of mammals (around 19 percent,) while the team also found a small quantity of bird, reptile, mollusk and amphibian remains.

The researchers say that the animal remains were human food waste given that they displayed cut marks and signs of burning. This has implications for our understanding of the people who used to live in the area, indicating that fish was an important food.

More:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/ancient-humans-in-the-sahara-desert-were-feasting-on-fish-10000-years-ago/ar-BB10aE95?li=BBnb7Kz
Latest Discussions»Culture Forums»Anthropology»Ancient Humans in the Sah...