Taking care - Upper Palaeolithic

Research on human bones, provide insights into the diet and hence into the origin of the food consumed. From the analysis of strontium and carbon deposited in bones it can be deduced that the contribution of meat proteins was very important in hunter-gatherer-fisher societies.

The amount of protein and vitamin intake from gathering is still under debate. However, it is a constant and necessary resource which could be in the hands of women, children and, therefore, should not be underestimated.

The gathered food list of Palaeolithic societies is not directly known, since only few remains are preserved, but is likely that they gathered in forests and meadows near their shelters the same type of plants that can be currently found in this Mediterranean environment: asparagus, mushrooms, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, pine nuts, hazelnuts, herbs like rosemary or thyme, and many other fruits, berries, roots and herbs, depending of the different seasons.

An important aspect of this activity is related to the care of people and the health of the group as popular medicine traditionally has been based on the gathering, processing and proper administration of wild medicinal plants in the form of teas, herbal teas, poultices, etc.