Ancient food traces from a site in Syria astonishingly resemble the diet that both medical experts and individuals around the world are currently pursuing.
According to Heritage Daily, a study on the agricultural practices and diets of ancient inhabitants in Syria yielded surprising results, indicating that some people following trendy diets today might simply be eating in a way reminiscent of the… Bronze Age.
An archaeologist working at the Tell Tweini site – (Photo: PLOS ONE).
The article published in the journal PLOS One states that archaeologists from Leuven University (Belgium) and the University of Tübingen (Germany) examined food traces from Tell Tweini, an ancient settlement near the coastal city of Jableh in Syria.
Results show that during the Middle Bronze Age in the area (from 2000 to 1600 BCE), the local population followed a Mediterranean diet.
This is evidenced by the common presence of grains, grapes, olives, small amounts of meat and dairy, as well as other dishes related to the Mediterranean diet.
The Mediterranean diet is praised as the key to longevity for people in Spain, Italy, and other regions, and recent medical studies have recommended it as a delicious and healthy eating style.
Gradually, this diet has become increasingly “hot,” adopted by many as a trendy way to maintain fitness and improve metabolism…
However, the surprising discovery from Syria suggests that this dietary pattern seems to have been a long-standing tradition among people across a vast region, not just in Western Mediterranean countries as we see today.
Traces of ancient meals have been identified through stable isotopes in human, animal, and plant remains.
Like in modern times, this diet reduces the risk of heart disease, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, certain cancers, depression, and contributes to better physical and mental functioning, potentially playing a significant role in a once-flourishing civilization in the region.
In addition to dietary findings, this approach helps to gain a better understanding of the emergence of cultural traditions and how these traditions were connected to the environment and society of that era.
