Food is universally critical for the survival of humanity, but cultures from different time periods and regions have developed divergent staples, cuisines, and preferences. In this course, we will use archaeology to explore the diversity of human food systems and the various roles food and drink have played around the world through deep time. Topics include the development of domestication and agriculture, origins of alcohol, the social implications of abundance and food scarcity, and the way feasting has traditionally been used to support various systems. We will consider the theoretical and methodological approaches that archaeologists use to study food and eating from a global anthropological perspective.
- Teacher: Scotti Norman