The Archaeology of Food: Identity, Politics, and Ideology in the Prehistoric and Historic Past

by: Twiss, K.C.

The Archaeology of Food explains how archaeologists reconstruct what people ate, and how such reconstructions reveal ancient political struggles, religious practices, ethnic identities, gender norms, and more. Balancing deep research with accessible writing, Katheryn Twiss familiarizes readers with archaeological data, methods, and intellectual approaches as they explore topics ranging from urban commerce to military provisioning to ritual feasting. Along the way, Twiss examines a range of primary evidence, including Roman bars, Aztec statues, Philistine pig remains, Nubian cooking pots, Mississippian squash seeds, and the bones of a medieval king. Her book introduces both archaeologists and non-archaeologists to the study of prehistoric and historic foodways, and illuminates how those foodways shaped and were shaped by past cultures.

Surveys the field of food archaeology, explaining core topics and interesting research areas
Provides an up-to-date overview of the archaeological methods used to study food in the past
Includes examples and ideas from a wide range of areas and time periods
Engages readers interested in public service, sustainability, health, and other topics of global concern

Table of Contents
1. What is food, and why do archaeologists study it?
2. How do archaeologists study food? Data sets and methods
3. Food and economics
4. Food and inequality
5. Food and politics
6. Identity: food, affiliation, and distinction
7. Food, ritual, and religion
8. Archaeology, food, and the future.

The Archaeology of Food: Identity, Politics, and Ideology in the Prehistoric and Historic Past

by: Twiss, K.C.

• ISBN-13: 9781108464062 / 978-1-108-46406-2
• ISBN-03: 1108464068 / 1-108-46406-8
• Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2019