The refrigerator is a modern invention that has only emerged since the early 20th century.
For many millennia, humans had to devise clever ways to preserve food. Many methods have been used since ancient times.
On a fall morning in 2015, two farmers in Michigan discovered a pelvic bone from a woolly mammoth. Subsequently, the research team uncovered more paleontological and archaeological evidence that helped clarify the context surrounding the existence of this bone.
Over 11,000 years ago, woolly mammoths roamed in herds across the North American continent. For hunter-gatherers, bringing down an animal the size of an African elephant was akin to winning the lottery. As a result, some indigenous people would place woolly mammoth meat in ponds to preserve it.
The refrigerator is a tool used for food preservation, which originated in the 20th century.
Professor Daniel Fisher, director of the University of Michigan’s Museum of Paleontology, told Live Science: “Ponds are an ideal place to store uneaten meat. What better alternative is there to hide food from other predators and scavengers on the ground?”
The meat was placed in one of several small, shallow ponds. Water was not the preserving factor; much of the effort lay in the Lactobacilli bacteria living in the water. Lactobacilli produce lactic acid, a chemical byproduct of anaerobic respiration.
The bacteria infiltrated the meat, and the lactic acid produced helped preserve the chunk of meat. The low temperature and low oxygen content of the water also contributed to the preservation process.
Professor Daniel Fisher believes the hunt may have occurred in the fall. The animals were butchered right where they fell, and large pieces of meat were dropped into nearby small ponds. The meat remained edible until the following summer. Fisher knows this because he has tested a similar method with venison, lamb, and even horse meat.
“Lactic acid also tenderizes the meat,” Professor Daniel Fisher said — “It has a strong smell and flavor, similar to Limburger cheese. This makes for an interesting meal.” Keeping food cool is a sensible idea, but not everyone has a pond nearby for storage.
Burial is another clever method to keep food fresh. The practice of burying food shields it from sunlight, heat, and oxygen, all of which accelerate spoilage.
Marshes are an appealing option. A marsh is a freshwater wetland with a soft, spongy substrate primarily composed of partially decayed plant material, also known as peat. The cool, low-oxygen, highly acidic environment is ideal for preserving perishable foods.
In Northern Europe, ancient civilizations would place food, including butter, in marshes for preservation. Archaeologists have recovered pieces of butter containing a waxy substance from a flooded meadow. Researchers conducted chemical analyses on the waxy substance and identified it as a dairy product, humorously dubbing it “marsh butter.”
Jessica Smyth, an Assistant Professor at University College Dublin’s School of Archaeology, stated: “Within two or three years, the fats in fresh butter will break down into their constituent components.”
What remains is a block of fatty acids. Marshes provided early agricultural communities a way to preserve perishable foods, such as dairy products, for extended periods.
The field of ethnology has previously noted that ancient peoples buried summer butter in marshes for storage. The processed butter could be edible, but it might retain the aromatic flavor of the surrounding peat, creating a distinctive taste.
