These recent studies upend the long-cherished image of the Neanderthal as hypercarnivore, sitting atop the food chain of their own ecosystem. Researchers have started arguing that prehistoric humans had a wider array of food. They were especially fond of feeding on maggots that infested rotting carcasses. This new perspective really changes the story on Neanderthal diets and how they tried to survive.
For many decades, Neanderthals were envisioned as big game hunters, obtaining most of their protein from eating a lot of meat. More recent evidence shows that they ate a lot less meat than we once believed. We know from the evidence they preferred the fatty portions of their prey and routinely kept their kills for long periods in caches. This adaptive storage practice freed them to seek protein in a more temporal way, rather than immediately in every fresh kill.
In research conducted by Dr. Melanie Beasley, heavy nitrogen levels were measured not only in putrefying muscle tissue, but in maggots infesting corpses. Their results showed that Neanderthals had a lot of heavy nitrogen in their bones. This nitrogen accumulation is the result of biomagnification in the food chain, where nitrogen-15 increases at every trophic level. The results suggest that Neanderthals would have struggled to sustain these levels solely through a meat-based diet. They required something other than the status quo meat eating to succeed.
“Humans can only tolerate up to about 4 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, whereas animals like lions can tolerate anywhere from two to four times that much protein safely.” – John Speth
Further, the study argues that eating maggots offered a different nutritional pathway. Widely considered an underutilized food source, maggots are nutrient-dense and offer a unique food experience. The process of harvesting maggots from decomposing meat offers an efficient and easy way for Neanderthals to meet their dietary needs.
Karen Hardy, a professor of prehistoric archaeology at the University of Glasgow, supported these findings, stating, “The only reason this is surprising is that it contradicts what we westerners think of as food.” She further elaborated on the practicality of harvesting maggots: “It is a no brainer for Neanderthals. Put out a bit of meat, leave it for a few days, then go back and harvest your maggots; it’s a very easy way to get good nutritious food.”
As John Speth, professor emeritus of anthropology at the University of Michigan, told NPR, it is hard to overstate the significance of these findings. He stated firmly, “Neanderthals were not hypercarnivores; their diet was different.” In light of this research, he remarked on its significance: “How does it shift our thinking? The Neanderthals as top carnivores was nonsense; it was physiologically impossible.”