Humans Roasted Starchy Carbs 170,000 Years Ago

Researchers uncover charred plant material from ancient hearth in South African cave

Dead Things iconDead Things
By Gemma Tarlach
Jan 2, 2020 7:00 PM
RoastedRhizome
Two views of charred rhizome remains, via scanning electron microscopy, from South Africa's Border Cave. (Credit: Dr. Lyn Wadley)

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It's a matter of debate for both researchers and advocates of diets that ostensibly echo the meal plans of our ancestors: When did humans start eating starchy carbs?

Charred remains of roasted rhizomes, found in a cave in South Africa, suggest it was at least 50,000 years earlier than previous archaeological evidence indicated.

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