HotmailEw! Bad teeth reveal what ancients ate
In the future, analysis may show how diets diverged over time
 Tom Dillehay / Vanderbilt This peanut hull, which dates back 7,600 years, serves as evidence that peanuts were cultivated by ancient Peruvians. An analysis of starch taken from teeth found at a Peruvian archaeological site confirmed that peanuts were part of the local diet as far back as 9,200 years ago. |
 | INTERACTIVE |
 | Seven archaeological mysteries Review ancient puzzlers ranging from Indiana Jones’ crystal skulls to Easter Island's statues. |
| INTERACTIVE |
 | Good times in ancient times We may practice debauchery like we invented it, but ancient people knew how to party long before we were born. |
| Special feature |
 | 10 tips to be a better coupon sleuth Want to save now? 10 Tips columnist Laura T. Coffey offers advice to help you upgrade your electronic and paper coupon skills. |
| FirstPerson |
 | Gallery: Your latest splurges Despite tough economic times, readers share photos of recent big-ticket purchases. |
 |
 Big changes in store for Oprah? Nov. 8: Is the queen of daytime television preparing to give up her popular talk show to focus on her own cable network? NBC’s Kevin Tibbles reports, then Rolling Stone contributor Toure and CNBC’s Carmen Wong Ulrich join Jenna Wolfe to discuss the financial and cultural impact of a potential move. |
WASHINGTON - Thanks to poor dental hygiene, researchers are getting a more detailed understanding of what people ate thousands of years ago in what is now Peru.
Dental plaque scraped from the teeth of people who lived as much as 9,200 years ago revealed traces of cultivated crops, including squash and beans, according to a report in Monday's online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
These ancient people also ate peanuts and a local fruit known as pacay, according to the report by Dolores Piperno, a staff scientist at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and the National Museum of Natural History, and Tom Dillehay, professor of archaeology at Vanderbilt University.
They studied 39 teeth from six to eight individuals. Found in northern Peru's Nanchoc Valley, the teeth were uncovered in the remains of round house structures in a settlement dated to 9,200 to 5,500 years ago.
"Some teeth were dirtier than others. We found starch grains on most of the teeth. About a third of the teeth contained large numbers of starch grains," Piperno said in a statement.
 |
Smithsonian A 7,600-year-old bean starch grain. |
The researchers said they hope the future analysis of starch grains from teeth can lead to other findings about ancient people, perhaps showing a difference in diet between Neanderthals and early modern humans.
- Discuss Story On Newsvine
-
Rate Story:
View popularLowHigh - Instant Message
MORE FROM TECHNOLOGY & MONEY |
 Technology & Money Section Front |
| Add Technology & Money headlines to your news reader: |
Sponsored links
Resource guide