HI351 Eating & Drinking in Ancient & Medieval
Food and drink are essential elements of life, and the experience of eating and drinking is one that we share with all other humans, past and present. But what we eat and drink, how it is produced, and how we consume it have all changed over time. For example, mice in the kithcen today would be considered cause for concern, but to the ancient Romans who stuffed and roasted them they were considered a delicacy. For these reasons, examining the history of eating and drinking provides insight into both the universality and diversity of the human experience. This course will examine the historical development of food production and consumption from the Agricultural Revolution that produced the first sedentary cultures (c. 10,000 BC) to the end of the medieval period (c.1500 AD), focusing on literary, artistic, and archaeological sources. We will discuss what kinds of things people ate and drank, how they acquired them, and the social and cultural rituals associated with eating and drinking.