Ancient Food and Drink: Archeology and History of Eating Crabs

Ancient Food and Drink: Archeology and History of Eating Crabs
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Ancient Food and Drink: Archeology and History of Eating Crabs
Abstract
The first person who ate crabs must have been brave or hungry.” This is a funny comment a lot of people liked to say. Crustaceans, including crabs, despite looking like giant insects from the water and sometimes frustrating to eat even in today’s dining settings, evidence was found that crabs were eaten much more than we would have thought in ancient civilizations. In this paper, I will explore the history and archeological evidence of crab-eating in different regions, and the reason why people decided to continue to include crabs in their food options not as a last resort to hunger. According to Tsung and other researchers (2014), true crabs are “the most diverse groups of crustaceans with approximately 7,000 described species in 98 families.” The number of crabs is so large and spread out that they can be accessed by many different regions throughout a vast period. A well-known traditional Chinese legend described the first crab eater, Ba Xie; researchers found remains of leftover shellfish, especially Crabs, in a Neanderthal cave near Portugal (Nabia et al., 2023); blue crab remains found in the Native American site Chesapeake Bay was so well-known it became their selling point for tourism (Rick et al., 2014). Although the evidence is from very different cultures and timelines, it is worth noticing that these people had more reasons to eat crabs other than simply being adventurous or too hungry. This paper will explore further why eating crabs helped the ancient people and was essential to live their life and benefit from it.
Introduction
Crabs form a luxurious delicacy in the modern world. It is a preferred meal for its taste, and nutritional value. Crabs are crustaceans and exist in over 7000 different species. Archaeologists have made discoveries that early men served and consumed crabs as a delicacy. This is a result of evidence of shells, and bone deposits left by early civilization. Different regions started consuming crabs and other seafood at different timing depending on the tools and the need to try new items. It is believed that individuals that lived near the coastal beaches adapted to the environment and curiosity to exploit immediately available resources. In this case, the crab was discovered similarly. Further, individuals could make tools that made catching and consuming seafood affordable. Thus, this paper will concentrate on Gruta da Figueira Brava, Chesapeake Bay, and ancient China.
Gruta da Figueira Brava
According to a recent study published by Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology, early humans cooked and consumed crabs 90,000 years ago. The discovery was done in a Portuguese cave, Gruta da Figueira Brava, beside the Atlantic Ocean (Nowakowski 2023). The archaeologist concluded that the Neantherdals consumed seafood due to the availability of shellfish remnants such as barnacles, sea urchins, and brown crab shells. The discovery was done through digging. The archaeologist concluded that Neantherdals targeted large crabs and roasted them in a coal fire. Also, the consistency of the shells and available tools helped conclude that Neantherdals used the same tool to break brown crabs.
Additionally, the crabs caught were larger than average meaning that Neantherdals caught brown crabs because of their size. Also, crabs were a good source of protein, vitamins, and fats which was readily available and easier for Neanderthals to hunt compared to other big animals (Nowakowski, 2023).
Chesapeake Bay
Crab-eating has a long history in the Chesapeake Bay area, dating back thousands of years ago. It is located in the Western Atlantic Ocean and is characterized by the presence of blue crabs. Notably, Archaeological evidence suggests that Native American tribes in the region were consuming crabs and other shellfish as early as over 3,000 years ago and in 93 Chesapeake Bay, archaeological sites(Rick et al. 2015). However, there were speculations that Native Americans did not consume Crabs, but studies, and information shows that they consumed blue crabs. According to research by Rick et al. (2015), the findings demonstrate that blue crab was consumed by Native Americans. Further, remains are fragile, and their preservation and recovery are highly impacted by taphonomic processes, excavation strategies, and perhaps seasonal exploitation (Rick et al. 2015). Additionally, Blue crabs formed a significant source of food for Native Americans, Euro-American colonists, and African Americans.
Significantly, the earliest evidence of human activity in the Chesapeake Bay area comes from the remains of shellfish and bone deposits. The shell middens, remnant piles, can be found throughout the region and provide valuable ideologies into the diets and lifestyles of the ancient cultures. Also, the size estimates demonstrate that a range of crab sizes was harvested in the past, including a higher proportion of large crabs than those found in the Bay today under the intense modern fishery.
Moreover, the consumption of crabs and other seafood became a crucial part of the Chesapeake Bay region's culinary traditions. Consequently, in the 19th century, crab harvesting became a major Fishery industry in the area, with thousands of people employed in processing and canning crab meat. Crabs form a great source of proteins, fat, ...