Domestication and diffusion The origins of the Mediterranean diet 1
antónio faustino carvalho Faculdade de Ciências Humanas e Sociais da Universidade do Algarve
The diffusion process of some components of the so-called “Mediterranean diet” is briefly outlined here, and more specifically, those dating back to Prehistoric times. This is the case of wheat and barley, legumes (broad beans, peas, lentils and grass peas) and some livestock (cattle, goats, sheep and pigs). The introduction of these foods, whose common denominator is the fact that they are domesticated species, provided radical changes, not only to the diet strategies of the Mediterranean peoples, but also to their way of living. ABSTRACT
KEY WORDS
Prehistory, domestication, Mediterranean.
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