Eating and Drinking in Roman Britain
Eating and Drinking in Roman Britain
What were the eating and drinking habits of the inhabitants of Britain during the Roman period? Drawing on evidence from a large number of archaeological excavations, this fascinating study shows how varied these habits were in different regions and amongst different communities and challenges the idea that there was any one single way of being Roman or native. Integrating a range of archaeological sources, including pottery, metalwork and environmental evidence such as animal bone and seeds, this book illuminates eating and drinking choices, providing invaluable insights into how those communities regarded their world. The book contains sections on the nature of the different types of evidence used and how this can be analysed. It will be a useful guide to all archaeologists and those who wish to learn about the strength and weaknesses of this material and how best to use it.
- Draws on the full range of archaeological and literary sources
- Reveals a great regional diversity within Roman Britain
- Covers kitchenware, ingredients, cooking techniques, eating and drinking customs
Reviews & endorsements
"H.E.M. Cool's book about food in Roman Britain successfully combines a variety of archaeological, biological, epigraphic and literary sources, including very recent excavation results, as well as a review of secondary sources, by focusing on all aspects of food and nutrition in the province. It is an invaluable source of information for any scholar researching the subject of Roman food and drink...it will also be appealing to the general reader interested in the subject of Roman food. Overall, this is an extremely valuable and informative new study, which both summarizes old data and new findings extremely coherently and which provides a very good analysis of the social implications of eating and drinking in Roman Britain. ...this book is extremely well-researched and written and presents a very detailed summary of the subject and can be recommended highly to both scholar and enthusiast alike." --Bryn Mawr Classical Review, 3/26/2008
Product details
January 2007Paperback
9780521003278
300 pages
227 × 152 × 17 mm
0.49kg
30 b/w illus. 43 tables
Available
Table of Contents
- 1. Aperitif
- 2. The food itself
- 3. The packaging
- 4. The human remains
- 5. Written evidence
- 6. Kitchen and dining basics: techniques and utensils
- 7. The store cupboard
- 8. Staples
- 9. Meat
- 10. Dairy products
- 11. Poultry and eggs
- 12. Fish and seafood
- 13. Game
- 14. Greengrocery
- 15. Drink
- 16. The end of independence
- 17. A brand new province
- 18. Coming of age
- 19. A different world
- 20. Digestif.
