Recently, a team of scientists headed by the University of Bristol discovered that “cereals, including wheat, were cooked in pots.” The scientists used chemical analysis of pottery that had been well-preserved and discovered “in the waters surrounding small artificial islands” in Scotland. [i] The cereal was cooked in pots of different sizes, usually smaller pots for cereal with milk and larger pots for cereal that included meat. Cereal was mainly mixed with dairy products, but research also indicates the occasional mixing of meat. [ii] Those thought to have been the owners of the pots are believed to be migrant farmers, based on the discovery of cereal grains and debris at various Neolithic sites. Neolithic means “New Stone Age.” The period lasted nearly 2,000 years. The following video provides more detail on what happened during the Neolithic. [iii]

Based on the research from this ancient pottery, “cereal biomarkers can be preserved for thousands of years, longer under favorable conditions.” The researchers also noted that the cooking pots were “intact and decorated, ” suggesting they may have had some ceremonial purpose. This parallels the discovery of rare crystals at Neolithic burial sites. [iv] Other discoveries indicate that

Neolithic sacred places and ritual landscapes clearly remained significant for many years after they were built, used and even understood.” [v]

According to various monuments, round barrows were used to “cover individual burials…sometimes accompanied by rich grave goods. This presumably corroborates the belief that rare crystals adorned grave sites. Researchers shared their excitement regarding the recent data analysis revealing how pottery was used during the Neolithic. [vi]

References

[i] University of Bristol, Neolithic culinary traditions uncovered, (Sep. 6, 2022) [ii] Id. [iii] Id. [iv] Id. [v] Britannica, Stone Age cultures, (2022) [vi] English Heritage, Prehistory: Religion, (2022)