ATH 315 - Archaeology of Food

Course unit(s): 1
Prerequisite(s): ATH 155 Archaeology & Prehistory .
This course uses food as a central axis for considering issues of health/nutrition, subsistence economy, gender roles/relations, ritual/ceremonial life, social inequality, and political power in past societies. These issues will be addressed through an examination of the archaeological residues of food remains and food consumption. Thus, the course has a dual emphasis on anthropological issues and archaeological methods of “food analysis”. Understanding past food practices requires consideration of a variety of archaeological evidence, including the food remains themselves, food containers and serving wares, areas of food preparation and consumption, and the human skeleton as a record of consumption. After several weeks considering the methods for analyzing these types of evidence, the course considers the above issues through case studies dealing with topics like cannibalism, feasting, luxury foods, status, gender, and ethnicity.