Introduction
After the ice age the early people began to settle in. That allowed them to be able to start growing crops and become farmers instead of just hunting and gathering. They also started to domesticate animals to provide food and clothing for them. This was called the Neolithic Revolution, also the Neolithic Stone Age. While farming was one of the big advances they also advanced in their technology, discovering metal and making better tools.
Back then, there was a lot of rainfall too. Even in Africa they had normal rainfall, opposed to now where when we think of Africa we think of the hot dry deserts. But if they had a lot of domesticated animals and rainfall my question is: Was the early Neolithic diet more nutritious than today's poorer parts of Africa's diet? If we know this than it may help us realize if the food supplies in Africa have gotten worse or better. I wanted to have a display of food comparing the portions the early Neolithic people versus the poorer parts of Africa but it really depends on the person, and the day. Some of the people were more fortunate than other's, depending on how lucky they were when it came to crops, and if they still were successful in hunting and gathering. That's the same for now a days too, some of the people can't get food while some have a fair amount, while both still not having enough to maintain a healthy life style. The food has developed over time, so in a sense I can't really make a Neolithic Plate, the corn has developed over the years, especially since we have GMOs, the bread would probably look different since there probably wasn't yeast back then. 8,000 B.C. - 4,000 B.C. DietIn certain ways, the early Neolithic were healthier than some American's today. They got plenty of exercise, there was little to no stress, there was no tobacco or alcohol and many other things.
Back when the Neolithic Revolution began (around 8,000 B.C.) they first starting farming. They had food like fish, milk, eggs, wheat, corn, rice, barley, roots, fruits, vegetables and more. For domesticated animals they had goats, sheep, and pigs. Around this time they didn't all need to collect food so they started job specialization. Some collected food while others made pots, clothing, jewelry and many more. Around this time food was easier to get also because they could store the grains, legumes, and other seeds they collected. That way if they collected too much they could keep it for another time when they did need it. |
But was this food they collected evenly shared?
They would trade food for clothing, or jewelry, or pots. But there may have been the less fortunate who didn't have anything to trade, resulting in no food for them.
But overall they all had a pretty even diet. Domestication and farming was a huge break through which really helped them be able to advance their other technology.
They would trade food for clothing, or jewelry, or pots. But there may have been the less fortunate who didn't have anything to trade, resulting in no food for them.
But overall they all had a pretty even diet. Domestication and farming was a huge break through which really helped them be able to advance their other technology.
Today's African Diet
Now, some parts of Africa are more fortunate than other's, like America is more fortunate than Papua New Guinea. The food captioned "Delicious African Cuisine" is from South Africa. Even in parts of South Africa some people are struggling for food, like America's riches aren't evenly shared throughout the country.
But what about the poorer parts of Africa where the entire country is struggling to collect food? They get plenty of exercise, doing all of this work to survive. They may have to walk up to eight hours to get water, disabling them from getting an education, jobs and other important things. And the water they get isn't even clean, it's dirty water from a river or somewhere like that. That results in them getting sick and many die. But what about when there was a lot of rainfall back thousands of years ago? There was more water so does that mean there was more crops too, resulting in better, more nutritious food?
Because some early Neolithic people were very fortunate they could have had a more nutritious daily intake than today's Africans. Then again, some may not have had a lot. We don't really have any way of knowing about how much they had. But one thing that's better about the Neolithic food is that we have a lot of food now that are high in energy but they are low in nutrients opposed to theirs being high in nutrients while being low in density.
But what about the poorer parts of Africa where the entire country is struggling to collect food? They get plenty of exercise, doing all of this work to survive. They may have to walk up to eight hours to get water, disabling them from getting an education, jobs and other important things. And the water they get isn't even clean, it's dirty water from a river or somewhere like that. That results in them getting sick and many die. But what about when there was a lot of rainfall back thousands of years ago? There was more water so does that mean there was more crops too, resulting in better, more nutritious food?
Because some early Neolithic people were very fortunate they could have had a more nutritious daily intake than today's Africans. Then again, some may not have had a lot. We don't really have any way of knowing about how much they had. But one thing that's better about the Neolithic food is that we have a lot of food now that are high in energy but they are low in nutrients opposed to theirs being high in nutrients while being low in density.
Sources:
- http://omicsgroup.org/journals/food-consumption-among-peasant-agriculturist-societies-in-bc-2167-0358.1000e119.php?aid=21196
- http://www.factmonster.com/dk/encyclopedia/early-farming.html
- http://www.bradshawfoundation.com/journey/agriculture2.html
- http://www.transformationinstitute.org/Assets/WhatDidOurAncestorsEat.pdf