A new study has found that our understanding of medieval diet and culture may be far from the truth. Archaeologists examined the bones of over 2,000 medieval bodies and found that they ate mostly vegetables and cereals, not meat. The lack of animal protein in Anglo-Saxon bones suggests that regardless of social class, vegetables were the main dietary component. Historical texts show that meat was consumed by the elite classes, but this study proves that the lavish meat feasts were rare and not part of everyday life. The bones from each class had very similar compositions, which shows that medieval society was likely not as hierarchical as once thought. The classes likely intertwined to share meals and ate the same kinds of foods, which contradicts what we previously knew about medieval lifestyle.
Image via CNN / Sam Leggett
Read other stories from the 5/16/22 newsletter: