Changing climates and emerging patterns: prehistoric human diet of Sri Lanka from Late Pleistocene through Late Holocene

The objective of this paper is to evaluate existing evidence and literature in order to provide a comprehensive analysis of information concerning shifts in prehistoric human dietary patterns in Sri Lanka from the Late Pleistocene to the Late Holocene. It also intends to investigate how ancient human diets in Sri Lanka transformed over time in response to environmental conditions during this time period. Regional and local paleoclimatic records indicate that Sri Lanka experienced significant climate fluctuations, particularly during the transition from the Pleistocene to the Holocene. Archaeological evidence suggests that these major climatic shifts revolutionized the subsistence patterns of ancient populations, as they were compelled to adopt adaptive measures. However, it is possible that certain groups displayed resilience and persisted with their original subsistence strategies into the Late Holocene.