Ancient man opted for turf over surf

ANCIENT man switched from “surf” to “turf” as soon as they started farming, scientists said yesterday.

Research in Britain shows that they abandoned fish in favour of meat and cereal crops.

The change came suddenly at the beginning of the Neolithic period, 5,200 years ago.

For the preceding 3,800 years, during the Mesolithic period, Britons thrived on fish suppers.

Seafood was a major part of the diet of both coastal and inland communities, but with the advent of farming, even coastal dwellers went off fish.

Scientists had known that a transition from marine to terrestrial diets occurred in Neolithic times, but it was unclear whether this was a rapid event or a gradual process lasting more than a millennium.

The new discovery emerged from an analysis of bones from 167 Neolithic and 19 Mesolithic skeletons.

Marine and terrestrial foods leave different isotopes, or atomic forms, of carbon in the bones of individuals consuming them. By testing for this chemical signature, it is possible to study the dietary habits of people who died thousands of years ago.

The scientists, led by Michael Richards from the University of Bradford, found a strong marine isotope signal in the Mesolithic bones, but the carbon in the Neolithic bones bore a distinct “turf” hallmark.