New Archaeological Research Reveals Bronze Age Plant-Based Diets in the Middle East

New archaeological research from the UAE and Oman is reshaping our understanding of Bronze Age diets—revealing that plant-based eating was far more prevalent than previously believed.

For decades, scholars assumed that Bronze Age communities in the Arabian Peninsula relied primarily on meat and dairy. But a recent study led by Dr. Akshyeta Suryanarayan of the University of Cambridge challenges that narrative. Through advanced lipid residue analysis of 179 pottery fragments from sites like Hili 8 and Hili North Tomb A, researchers uncovered chemical traces of plant-derived compounds, including markers from cereals and date palms.

“This hints at more complex dietary practices than are typically visible in the archaeological record,”
— Dr. Akshyeta Suryanarayan, University of Cambridge

The presence of plant-based residues—despite their lower lipid content—suggests that Bronze Age communities were already engaging in oasis agriculture, cultivating crops and integrating them into daily life. This aligns with broader shifts toward sedentary living, food preservation, and trade.

The findings were published in The National and can be read in full on PressReader. The original peer-reviewed study is available via PLOS ONE:
🔬 Bronze Age Arabian Pottery Reveals Long-Lost Culinary Practices and Exchange Connections

Reclaiming a Forgotten Food Heritage

This research invites a rethinking of Middle Eastern food history. It challenges the assumption that plant-based diets are modern innovations and instead positions them as part of a regional legacy—rooted in sustainability, adaptation, and coexistence with nature.

The pottery vessels analyzed were likely used to store, cook, and transport plant-based foods, suggesting culinary practices that were both resourceful and diverse. Their reuse across generations also hints at interconnected communities and shared food knowledge.