Hunter-gatherers were the first to make pottery in Europe

As a result, the idea has traveled more than 3,000 km in a period of 200 to 300 years. This corresponds to about 250 kilometers per generation. According to the study, the spread was “much faster than, for example, the spread of Neolithic pottery from the Near East to the Mediterranean region and Western Europe.” One possible reason for this: When the first farmers came to Europe, they brought new knowledge with them, which Neolithic people always introduced into new areas themselves. Technologies migrated with people.

This differs in the case of European researchers: “With regard to the speed of diffusion,” McLaughlin’s research team writes, “we hypothesize that ceramic production spread rapidly through the transfer of knowledge through existing networks of scattered hunter-gatherer societies.” Perhaps people exchanged ideas at national festivals or married women from other cultural groups brought new knowledge with them.

The researchers were able to determine the age and function of the pots based on the organic residues on the clay walls. They found fat from marine and terrestrial animals in about 75 percent of the samples, as well as plant remains. However, it is not certain if this is the reason why people eat more meat and fish than plant foods, as animal fats are easier to identify.