At 02:54 PM 3/27/01 -0500, Todd Moody wrote:
>On Tue, 27 Mar 2001, Dianne Heins wrote:
>
>> Actually you reminded me of something.  It is my understanding that one of
>> the sources of data on diet comes from analyzing fossilized human exrement.
>>  If grains were a significant part of the diet, pre-milling, that should
>> show up there, assuming there were at least some grains that were not
>> thoroughly chewed.
>
>Coprolite analysis would indeed be a good way to confirm that
>something was part of the paleo diet, but unfortunately the
>absence of a coprolite trace doesn't provide much evidence
>against it.  In any case, my position is that grains were
>probably an adjunct food, meaning that they were eaten just
>occasionally, when available in significant quantities and
>readily harvested.

Sorry, wasn't disagreeing with what you'd said, I happen to agree.  I was
thinking more along the lines of pre-grinding... artifacts :)

Dianne