Neolithic Orcadians roasted rodents to eat

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BBC News: Stone Age people 'roasted rodents for food' - archaeologists

"Rodents appear to have been roasted for food by Stone Age people as early as 5,000 years ago, archaeological evidence suggests.

Bones from archaeological sites in Orkney show voles were cooked or boiled for food, or possibly for pest control.

This is the first evidence for the exploitation of rodents by Neolithic people in Europe, say scientists.

Rodents were consumed later in history, with the dormouse regarded as a delicacy during Roman times.
...
The remains were found with waste products from other foods, suggesting voles may have been roasted in the fire. Alternatively, they may have been cooked or boiled in a pot.
...
"The remains were getting into the refuse of the inhabitants and in very large numbers and over a considerable period of time - several hundred years," he said.
...
The voles were quite small and "would be no more than a mouthful" to eat, but "a perfectly good source of protein", said Dr Herman.

The remains were originally excavated at the well known Skara Brae site in the 1970s.

Scientists sifted through nearly 60,000 rodent bones and teeth to study their origins.
"


Why not? We are not talking sewer rat here, but 'fresh' country voles. If they are well cooked the sanitary risk shouldn't be higher than for eating rabbits.
 

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