Stone-age humans may have consumed bone marrow like canned soup: Study

Prehistoric people may have consumed animal bone marrow like how modern humans eat canned soup, according to a study.

The research, published in the journal Science Advances, showed evidence of the storage and delayed consumption of animal bone marrow at Qesem Cave in Israel -- the site of many major discoveries about early humans who lived 400,000 years ago.

According to the researchers, including those from Tel Aviv University (TAU) in Israel, the new study provides direct evidence that early stone-age people saved animal bones for up to nine weeks before feasting on them inside Qesem Cave.

"Bone marrow constitutes a significant source of nutrition and as such was long featured in the prehistoric diet," said co-author of the study Ran Barkai from TAU.

Until now, scientists believed that the early humans immediately consumed marrow following the procurement and removal of soft tissues, the study noted.

"In our paper, we present evidence of storage and delayed consumption of bone ...