Based on archaeological finds, we have a relatively good understanding of which animals our ancestors hunted for food. We know that they were not particularly selective and hunted whatever animals were available: game, fish, beavers, and others.

Hunting deer, for example, was very common. Deer were also hunted with the help of traps. With the help of beaters, the animals were driven into karst chasms or toward other obstacles, where they could be killed.

From the world of gathering we know that people collected grains and berries. However, we know relatively little about other plants they ate or used. We know even less about combinations of foods or about actual recipes.

For a long time, it was believed that people in the Stone Age simply roasted meat without spices. A similar assumption existed regarding the preparation of grains. However, broader research in Europe has revealed that people already knew recipes in the Stone Age and prepared dishes according to them. Moreover, there were even regional differences, and people used recipes that varied from region to region.

For example, a combination of freshwater fish and wild grasses was popular near the border between present-day Ukraine and Russia. Further east, in the central part of what is now Russia, people preferred to eat amaranth plants together with fish.

Danish hunter-gatherers also liked amaranth, but they preferred the flowers of the plant.

The berries of viburnum, also known as guelder-rose berries, were also popular. These have been found in several samples in Eastern Europe. Even more interesting is the fact that they are still eaten today in Poland, Ukraine, and Russia. It seems that tastes have not changed much over the millennia.

The idea that people in the Stone Age relied mainly on hunting is incorrect. Research shows that they had a very good knowledge of the plants in their surroundings and used primarily those that they found tasty.

Stone Age Recipe with Fish

Trout in Clay Crust (Central Europe, ca. 8000 BC)
Archaeologists found evidence of fish pits, hearths, and clay remnants in settlements near rivers.

Ingredients

• Whole fish (trout or char)
• Wild herbs (dill, sorrel, nettle, amaranth)
• Clay or mud

Preparation

1. Gut the fish and stuff it with herbs.
2. Completely cover the fish with clay.
3. Place in hot embers.
4. Cook for 30–40 minutes.

When breaking the clay crust, the skin sticks to the clay – the meat is perfectly cooked.

Stone Age Recipe with Reindeer Meat over Fire (Ice Age Europe)

Bone finds show that large animals were roasted over open fires.

Ingredients

• Reindeer or wild meat
• Juniper berries
• Wild herbs (dill, sorrel, nettle, amaranth)

Preparation

1. Skewer the meat on wooden sticks.
2. Rotate over an open fire.
3. Season with crushed juniper berries and wild herbs.

Hazelnut Stone Age Porridge (Europe, ca. 7000 BC)

Many archaeological sites have revealed charred hazelnuts and grinding stones.

Ingredients

• Hazelnuts
• Water
• Berries (raspberries, blackberries)

Preparation

1. Grind the hazelnuts.
2. Cook with water into a porridge.
3. Add berries.

A very energy-rich Stone Age food.

Wild Meat Stew with Roots (Neolithic)

Finds of clay pots with meat and plant residues indicate early stews.

Ingredients

• Wild meat
• Carrot or parsnip roots
• Onion-like wild plants
• Herbs

Preparation

1. Cut meat and roots into pieces.
2. Cook with water in a clay pot.
3. Simmer over fire for 1–2 hours.

Probably one of the oldest European stew dishes.

Stone Age Acorn Flatbread (ca. 6000 BC)

Archaeologists found ground acorns and flatbread remnants on hot stones.

Ingredients

• Acorns (de-bittered)
• Water
• Ground seeds (e.g., wild grasses)

Preparation

1. Dry and grind the acorns.
2. Mix with water to make dough.
3. Shape into flatbreads.
4. Bake on hot stones.

One of the earliest bread precursors in Europe.

Hallstatt Ritschert (Stone Age Version)

Archaeologically documented: Ritschert-like stews with barley, emmer/einkorn, legumes, and possibly meat were found in the Hallstatt region.

Ingredients

• Barley or emmer/einkorn
• Lentils or peas
• Wild meat or bacon
• Water, salt (0–1 tsp)
• Wild herbs

Preparation
Soak grains and legumes, then cook with meat and water for several hours. Add herbs at the end.

Bone Broth Recipe

Tools and bone fragments suggest that bones were boiled for long periods to extract fat and nutrients.

Preparation
Boil bones with water over fire for several hours. Produces a nutrient-rich broth.

Stone Age Porridge with Viburnum opulus (Guelder Rose)

Ingredients (for 2 people)

• 100 g ripe Viburnum opulus berries (bright red, fully ripe)
• 50 g hazelnuts or walnuts (coarsely crushed)
• 100 ml water
• Handful of edible wild herbs (e.g., dandelion, ground elder)

Preparation

1. Wash the berries carefully and remove stems.
2. Simmer berries with water in a small pot for 5–10 minutes until soft. Cooking reduces bitterness.
3. Mix crushed nuts into the porridge. Chop and add the herbs.
4. Optionally, lightly mash or crush the porridge as Stone Age people likely did with stones.

A nutritious, wild-berry-rich Stone Age porridge.
Important: Never eat Viburnum opulus raw, as the berries can be slightly toxic.

Stone Age Stew with Meat/Fish and Viburnum opulus

Ingredients (for 2 people)

• 200–250 g meat (wild, beef, or chicken) or fish (trout or char)
• 50 g ripe Viburnum opulus berries
• 1 small root or carrot
• Handful of wild herbs (e.g., dandelion, ground elder, nettle)
• 200 ml water
• Optional: a few nuts or seeds (for fat/energy)

Preparation

1. Cut meat into chunks or clean the fish.
2. Wash berries and remove stems; cooking reduces bitterness.
3. Heat water in a pot or over fire. Add meat/fish and carrot/root, simmer gently (about 15–20 min for meat, 10 min for fish).
4. Add the berries and cook for another 5–10 minutes until soft, infusing flavor.
5. Stir in fresh wild herbs shortly before serving.

A hearty Stone Age meal with a lightly fruity note.
Important: Never eat Viburnum opulus raw.

Common Stone Age Foods in Europe:

• Wild meat (deer, wild boar, reindeer)
• Fish
• Hazelnuts
• Berries
• Roots
• Wild herbs (dill, sorrel, nettle, amaranth)

Source:

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Dimitrij Mlekuž Vrhovnik and Tomaž Fabec, Prehistoric hunting megastructures in the Adriatic hinterland, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), 14.10.2025.

Sam Peters, What was on the menu for Stone Age cooks? The results are surprising, CNN, 10.03.2026.

K.H., Na Krasu odkrili prazgodovinske lovske megastructure, 24ur, 15.10.2025.

Anna Shevchenko, Andrea Schuhmann, Henrik Thomas, Günter Wetzel, Fine Endmesolithic fish caviar meal discovered by proteomics in foodcrusts from archaeological site Friesack 4, Plos ONE, 28. 11. 2018.

Katarina Fischer, Ernährung in der Steinzeit: Neandertaler kochten nach Rezept, National Geographic, 30. 6. 2025.

Xinying Zhou, Robert N. Spengler, Bahediyoh Sayfullaev, Khasanov Mutalibjon, Jian Ma, Junchi Liu, Hui Shen, Keliang Zhao, Guanhan Chen, Jian Wang, Thomas A. Stidham, Hai Xu, Guilin Zhang, Qingjiang Yang, Yemao Hou, Jiacheng Ma, Nasibillo Kambarov, Hongen Jiang, Farhod Maksudov, Steven Goldstein, Jianxin Wang, Dorian Q. Fuller, Xiaoqiang Li

9,000-year-old barley consumption from hill flank of Central Asia, PNAS, 25. 8. 2025.