Final answer:
The traditional view posits that Neandertals had a varied and plant-heavy diet derived from their hunter-gatherer lifestyle, supplemented with meat from hunted and scavenged animals. This view is supported by archaeological evidence and parallels with modern hunter-gatherer societies' diets.
Step-by-step explanation:
The traditional view of the Neandertal dietary niche suggests that they led a hunter-gatherer lifestyle, which was flexible and adapted to their local environments. Evidence from the archaeological record, such as fossilized remains (zooarchaeology), as well as studies of human anatomy and remaining hunter-gatherer societies, point toward a diet composed mainly of wild grains, berries, honey, game (both small and large mammals), fish, and shellfish. The bulk of their diet was believed to be plant-based, estimated to be around 65 percent, with the remainder coming from animal-based sources. This balance provided a diverse and nutritious intake that contributed to their survival across various geographic areas.
While there have been hypotheses such as "man the hunter" and "woman the gatherer", suggesting a division of labor based on gender, it's widely acknowledged that both men and women contributed significantly to the subsistence of their groups. Gathering, which was likely a major source of sustenance, could have been heavily reliant on women's ingenuity in creating tools for harvesting plants and other resources. Such activities might have led to the development of a wide variety of dietary components essential for Neandertal health.
However, it is necessary to note that there have been revisions in this traditional view as new archaeological discoveries have been made and new methods of research, such as stable isotope analysis, have provided more detailed insights into their diet and lifestyle.