Ancient dental calculus reveals diverse diets of premodern Japanese commoners

Researchers studying ancient dental calculus from eight adult commoners buried in the Umeda cemetery in Osaka have reconstructed the diverse diets of premodern Japanese citizens. By using palaeoproteomic methods to analyze proteins trapped in hardened plaque, the team identified 38 dietary proteins from 17 different taxa, including various fish, mammals, and plants.

The analysis revealed that these individuals consumed a mix of terrestrial plants and marine resources. Notably, muscle proteins from red sea bream (Pagrus major) were found in six of the eight individuals, suggesting that this fish, often described in historical texts as a luxury item, was accessible to commoners. The study also identified proteins from flatfishes and salmonids, the latter of which are cold-water fish not native to Osaka Bay.