Study Reveals Continued Hunting and Gathering in Europe Long After Farming Emerged
A recent study has uncovered that communities in parts of modern-day Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany continued hunting and gathering for thousands of years after farming had become prevalent in other regions. This research, based on ancient DNA analysis, reveals that women played a crucial role in introducing farming knowledge to these communities. The study, conducted by palaeoecologist Professor John Stewart and archaeologists from the Université de Liège, involved excavating ancient human remains dating from 8500 to 1700 BCE. The findings indicate that in areas rich in natural resources, such as rivers and wetlands, local populations did not immediately adopt farming. Instead, they gradually integrated farming practices over a period of up to 3,000 years, maintaining a high level of hunter-gatherer ancestry. 
