By Helen Briggs BBC News
Rodents appear to have been
roasted for food by Stone Age people as early as 5,000 years ago,
archaeological evidence suggests.
Bones from archaeological sites
in Orkney show voles were cooked or boiled for food, or possibly for pest
control.
This is the first evidence for
the exploitation of rodents by Neolithic people in Europe, say scientists.
Rodents were consumed later in
history, with the dormouse regarded as a delicacy during Roman times.
The Orkney vole - found only on
the archipelago - is thought to be a subspecies of the European common vole.
Charred bones suggest the vole
was cooked, most likely for food.
The remains were found with waste
products from other foods, suggesting voles may have been roasted in the fire.
Alternatively, they may have been cooked or boiled in a pot.
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