News Archaeology

Maggots may have been on the Neandertal menu

The fly larvae could explain a high nitrogen signature in the ancient hominid’s bones

Image of many fly maggots.

The Neanderthal diet might have included putrefied meat with a healthy sprinkling of maggots.

sankai/Getty Images

By Sofia Caetano Avritzer

The original paleo diet might have included fewer succulent steaks and more juicy maggots.

Neandertals are often depicted at the top of the food chain for their time, consuming as much meat as lions or hyenas.