Doggerland
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Plant matter containing ascorbic acid also known as Vitamin C plays an important role in preventing Scurvy. In modern industrial societies the supply is secured by large production of vitamin c rich plant products like fruits and green vegetables.
In prehistoric times the supply was not always possible, because plant matter was only available during summer and fall season in the northern hemisphere. Animal products like liver also containing vitamin c, but also a high amount of vitamin a which can soon become toxic, if excessive consumed.
With neolithic revolution and massive settlement in Europe the production of protein based foods like meat, lentils, peas and dairy products became possible, also large caloric and mineral income from grain harvesting.
In contrast an evidence for large production and cultivation of vitamin c rich foods like fruits or vegetable leafs has poorly been documented.
Neolithic megacities harboured up to 10.000 peoples and those people had the need for large amounts for vitamin c containing foods during all year around.
What was the source of their vitamin c? It is unlikely that meat and grains where produced in such an excessive matter, but no vitamin c source.
The literature mostly names local species of vitamin c containing plants like crap apple,rose fruits/hips wild grapes and prunes.
Those plants can be an explanation for vitamin c source of low populated hunter gatherer villages, but are lacking the yield for neolithic megacities. Those wild plants are regularly infested by parasites and where also used by local fauna, so their amount of fruits and their quality is generally low.
Green peas are containing a small amount of vitamin c, even in the dried state, but this would be not enough for daily need, also consuming large amounts of them every day is toxic, even if the peas are well cooked.
There seems to be no discovery of traces from fruit or vegetable dishes beyond grains and legumes, but milk and other animals fats are well documented in ceramic vessels. If fruit trees where cultivated, a large amount of seeds should have been found in garbage pits. If green vegetables like brassica where cultivated, pollen should have been found.
This thread is not about speculating what they could have eaten and how they conservated their vitamin c rich food, but to find scientific sources of evidence for fruit/vegetable cultivation or traces of vitamin c rich dishes.
In prehistoric times the supply was not always possible, because plant matter was only available during summer and fall season in the northern hemisphere. Animal products like liver also containing vitamin c, but also a high amount of vitamin a which can soon become toxic, if excessive consumed.
With neolithic revolution and massive settlement in Europe the production of protein based foods like meat, lentils, peas and dairy products became possible, also large caloric and mineral income from grain harvesting.
In contrast an evidence for large production and cultivation of vitamin c rich foods like fruits or vegetable leafs has poorly been documented.
Neolithic megacities harboured up to 10.000 peoples and those people had the need for large amounts for vitamin c containing foods during all year around.
What was the source of their vitamin c? It is unlikely that meat and grains where produced in such an excessive matter, but no vitamin c source.
The literature mostly names local species of vitamin c containing plants like crap apple,rose fruits/hips wild grapes and prunes.
Those plants can be an explanation for vitamin c source of low populated hunter gatherer villages, but are lacking the yield for neolithic megacities. Those wild plants are regularly infested by parasites and where also used by local fauna, so their amount of fruits and their quality is generally low.
Green peas are containing a small amount of vitamin c, even in the dried state, but this would be not enough for daily need, also consuming large amounts of them every day is toxic, even if the peas are well cooked.
There seems to be no discovery of traces from fruit or vegetable dishes beyond grains and legumes, but milk and other animals fats are well documented in ceramic vessels. If fruit trees where cultivated, a large amount of seeds should have been found in garbage pits. If green vegetables like brassica where cultivated, pollen should have been found.
This thread is not about speculating what they could have eaten and how they conservated their vitamin c rich food, but to find scientific sources of evidence for fruit/vegetable cultivation or traces of vitamin c rich dishes.