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Summaries · Grade 5 History › Food: evidence, sharing and rules
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Food: evidence, sharing and rules

How archaeologists know what people ate, storing and sharing food, and rules and stories about food. Read one part at a time and tap “I know this”. Then test yourself in the quiz.

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Evidence

FindWhat it shows
Animal bonesWhich animals people ate
ShellsPeople gathered food from water
Seeds and charcoal in a hearthWhich plants were used
Traces in a clay potThe food cooked in it
Fish traps and hooksEarly fishing
Archaeologists look for evidence of what people ate.
Archaeologists look for evidence of what people ate.
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Food and culture

  • Sharing food with a visitor shows welcome and hospitality; rules about who eats what carry beliefs and respect.
  • A trickster, like Jackal in the Jackal and Wolf stories, is a clever animal in folktales that outwits others; food stories teach about greed and sharing.
  • Indigenous knowledge about food is passed down locally; veldkos like roots and berries. People moved camp because plants ripen at different times.
  • Spices travelled far because they were tasty and valuable. Maize meal is a staple in most homes today.
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Remember this and test yourself

Remember this: your summary
  • Archaeologists study bones, shells and seeds; coprolites are fossilised droppings.
  • Food remains lie near old fireplaces, because people cooked and ate there.
  • A grindstone grinds grain into flour; a winnowing basket separates grain from chaff; the calabash served food and drink.
  • Food was dried or salted to keep; storing food made people settle and share.
  • Maize came from the Americas; sorghum and millet were grown long before.

Write these points in your book. Read them again the night before the test.

Memory trick

Archaeologists are food detectives: bones, shells, seeds and even droppings tell what was on the menu.

Flash cards · Tap to turn over

Important words

First say what the word means, then turn the card over.

Test yourself · Part 2

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