Food in ancient Rome

RESUMEN
Se estudian los documentos que hacen referencia al uso de la sal entre los soldados. Se proponen distintas
utilidades: para la dieta, para la conservación de alimentos, principalmente, pero también se propone
un uso terapéutico. Por otra parte, tras el análisis de inscripciones y de algunos papiros, se analiza la
importancia que la sal tenía como parte del sueldo de los soldados en época imperial. También, a través de
la epigrafía, se analiza el papel de los negotiatores salinarum y los conductores, evaluando su importancia
como proveedores y abastecedores de sal u otros alimentos para el ejército.
ABSTRACT
This paper studied the documents that refer to the use of the salt among the soldiers: for the diet, for
the food conservation, principally, but also one proposes a therapeutic use. On the other hand, after the
analysis of inscriptions and papyruses, there is analyzed the importance that the salt took as a report of the
salary of the soldiers in imperial epoch; also is analyzed the role of the negotiatores salinarum and the conductores,
merchants of salt and drivers (documented by the inscriptions), evaluating his importance as suppliers
of salt or other food for the army.

"Confronting the question, ‘what did the Celtic tribes eat in the British Isles’ the paper gathers information from a variety of sources to answer this inquiry which draws mainly from the British Isles, but other areas of research have been gleamed from the Continent and taken from Roman and Greek commentary to better detail this inquiry.  The resulting report is a suggestion of the possibility of food sources and their uses that may have been enjoyed by the Celtic peoples living in the Isles. 

I would like to specially thank Dr. Peter Renyolds and David Freeman from Buster Farm, Jacqui Wood from Cornwall Celtic Village and Jane Renfrew in their unlimited resource of research and hands on knowledge I was able to draw from during my work for food sources, prep and storage.

Dr Bettina Arnold from the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee and independent researcher Merryn Dineley for their fascinating takes on the importance and use of alcoholic drinks during the Bronze and Iron Ages. 

Dr Francis Pryor archaeologist of Flag Fen and Camilla and James Dickson, Philippa Tomlinson and Allan R. Hall’s review of the Archaeobotanical Computer Database (ABCD) food Plants from the British Isles which helped me better grasp the farming technology and what was available to Iron Age Britain. 
"

This paper investigates what substitutes for maternal milk existed for Roman infants whose mothers were not able or not willing to breastfeed. It examines the potential reasons why a mother could or would not breastfeed or why an infant could not suckle, and the various attested or hypothetical alternatives to maternal milk about which literary and archaeological sources as well as anthropological, sociological and practical considerations inform us, from wet nurses to animal milk, from a bottle or from the udder, to allomaternal nursing

ÖZET: Allium ailesinin üyeleri olan soğan (Lat. Allium cepa/caepa), sarımsak (Lat. Al/ium, sativum) ve pırasa (Lat. Allium porrum) ekili kök bitkilerinin en eskileri arasındadır. “Allium”, Keltçe’den türetilmiş keskin kokulu/acı anlamına gelmektedir. Kökenleri muhtemelen Orta Asya’ya dayanan soğan, sarımsak ve pırasa Antik Çağ`dan günümüze geniş bir kullanım alanı bulmuştur. Kullanım tarihi M.Ö. 3000’lere dayanan bu bitkiler ile ilgili en eski yazılı kayıt M.Ö. 1500’den kalma bir Mısır papirüsüdür (Codex Ebers). Antik Çağ`dan kalma eserlerin günümüze ulaşılabilenleri incelendiğinde soğan, sarımsak ve pırasanın kullanımına dair pek çok bilgiye rastlamak mümkündür. Bu eserler arasında M.Ö. 753 yılında tarih sahnesine çıkarak, Antik Çağ`ın en büyük ve en görkemli imparatorluklarından biri olmuş Roma İmparatorluğu`na ait olanları ilk sırada gelmektedir. Romalı yazarların (Plinius, Cato, Galen (doğum yeri Bergama (M.S. 129)), Columella, Varro, Petronius, Ovidius, Apicius,
Martial vd.) eserleri incelendiğinde bu bitkilerin kullanımına dair belirgin iki alan göze çarpmaktadır. Bunlardan ilki ve en yaygın olanı tıbbi olarak birçok hastalığı tedavi etmek için hazırlanan reçetelerin bir bileşeni olması, ikincisi ise daha dar anlamda besin maddesi olarak tüketilmesidir. Bu çalışmada, Romalı yazarların eserlerinden yola çıkılarak Antik Roma döneminde soğan, sarımsak ve pırasanın kullanım alanlarına dair incelemelerde bulunulacaktır.
Anahtar Kelimeler: Antik Roma, Soğan, Sarımsak, Pırasa
ABSTRACT: Onion (Lat. Allium cepa / caepa), garlic (Lat. Al/ium, sativum) and leek (Lat. Allium porrum) are among the oldest cultivated root plants. "Allium" means the pungent odor derived from Celtic. Onions, garlic and leeks, probably rooted in Central Asia, have found a wide range of use from the Ancient Age to the present day. The earliest written record of these plants dating back to 3000 BC is an Egypt papyrus dating back to 1500 BC. (Codex Ebers). When we are examined which survived works of Ancient Age, it is possible to find a lot of information about the use of onions, garlic and leeks. Among these works, those belonging to the Roman Empire, which is one of the largest and most magnificent empires of the Ancient Age, are in the first position.The works of Roman writers (Plinius, Cato, Galen (place of born in Pergamum 129 AD), Columella, Varro, Petronius, Ovidius, Apicius, Martial et al.) when are evaluated, two distinct areas of use of these plants are striking. The first and the most common of these is that it is a component of prescriptions prepared to treat many diseases medically, and the second is that it is consumed in a narrower sense as a nutrient. In this article, on the basis of the works of Roman writers, the usage of onions, garlic and leeks will be examined.
Keywords: Ancient Rome, Onion, Garlic, Leek

Este volumen es el resultado del trabajo realizado, durante varios años, por el grupo CEIPAC consistente en el estudio del material anfórico hallado en la Colonia Ulpia Traiana (Xanten, Alemania). Se han estudiado más de dieciocho mil fragmentos de ánforas hallados en las excavaciones realizadas en la ciudad a lo largo de casi un siglo, lo que ha permitido definir el comercio de alimentos que se estableció entre una ciudad de la frontera renana y las regiones del Mediterráneo. Junto al análisis del material hallado en la ciudad, se presenta el estado actual de la investigación de cada uno de los tipos anfóricos y se pone a disposición del lector, junto a la información puntual sobre la presencia de un determinado tipo anfórico, una información general que le permite contextualizar mejor los datos obtenidos. La obra tiene dos aspectos diversos: uno, el que se refiere al estudio del lugar concreto de hallazgo de nuestras ánforas, lo que permite ayudar a datar algunos estratos arqueológicos y a estudiar la distribución espacial de las ánforas en la ciudad. El segundo aspecto, más interesante a nivel general, es haber delimitado qué productos vienen de qué zona del Mediterráneo, en qué momento y en qué proporción. En síntesis, podemos concluir que existe una corriente de comercio entre todas las regiones del Mediterráneo y la ciudad de Xanten en época julio-claudia, y que a partir de época Flavia las relaciones comerciales se intensifican y casi se convierten en exclusivas entre Xanten y las provincias romanas de Gallia e Hispania. Lo cual conduce a una discusión sobre el significado de la influencia del estado romano en la distribución de productos alimentarios, sobre todo teniendo en cuenta la población militar de la región. Además, se presentan claves para el estudio de las redes comerciales entre Germania y las provincias mediterráneas, se discute el camino entre el Mediterráneo y la frontera, y se defiende la importancia de la ruta atlántica en contraposición a la vía del Ródano, que, tradicionalmente, se consideraba como la más importante.

Il contributo illustra brevemente l'evoluzione del costume alimentare romano nelle classi elevate e abbienti tra la Repubblica e il Principato; parallelamente, si analizzano anche i contesti "popolari"  del cibo: tabernae, cauponae e strade.

History&Future Journal of Öz Hellen ve Roma toplumlarında damak tadı ve lezzet arayışlarının incelendiği bu çalışmanın amacı adı geçen uygarlıkların yeme-içme alışkanlıklarındaki eğilimleri incelemek ve eğer varsa bu eğilimleri belirleyen kişileri ve bunların toplum içindeki statülerini belirlemektir. Konuyla il-gili bilgiler M.Ö. III. yüzyıldan M.S. IV. yüzyıla kadar uzanan bir zaman diliminde birçok yazar tarafından oluşturulmuştur. Bu çalışmadan bunlar arasından yalnızca bir kısmı ele alınacak ve incelenecektir. Buna ek olarak her iki toplumun hiciv ve komedi yazarlarının eserleri de konuya ilişkin eleştirel bilgiler içermektedir. Çalışmamızda adı geçen eserlerden örnekler verilip yazarın konuya bakışı değerlendirilmeye çalışılacaktır. Yazarlar arasındaki sıralama kronolojiye göre değil konu sınıflandırmasına göre yapılmıştır. Makale Giriş ve Değerlendirme dışında iki başlık altında toplanmıştır. Bu çalışmanın sonunda adı geçen toplumların içinde sosyal statü farklılıklarına bağlı olarak yeme-içme alışkanlıklarında da farklılıklar bulunduğu, her sınıfa uygun yeme içme önerile-rinin farklı yazarlar tarafından yapıldığı anlaşılmıştır. İkincil olarak toplumun üst sınıfına yönelik, zengin içerikli ve pahalı yiyecekleri tanıtan ve lüks tüketimin öncüleri olan yazarlar, filozoflar ve hicivciler tarafından eleştirilmişlerdir. Son olarak doğuya olan ilginin artmasıyla birlikte Hellen ve Roma toplumlarının yemek alışkanlıklarında değişim yaşanmıştır.

Click here for the Teams link. Program 9:30-9:35 Opening by Prof. dr. em. Frank Deconinck 9:35-10:20 Benoît Henriet: The FORAGENCY research project: investigating the crossroads of indigenous agency and foraging practices in colonial Central Africa 10:20-11:05 Barbara Veselka: Diet and deficiency: using strontium isotope ratios and concentrations to investigate the development of cranial lesions in a Dutch Early Medieval cremated human remains collection. Coffee break 11:15-12:00 Antonia Matalas: Regional and epidemiological perspectives of the diet in the Mediterranean Sea Lunch break 13:00-13:45 Cristina Corsi: "Fine loaves for you, common loaves for the boys". Differentiation in food provisioning between master and servants during a late antique journey 13:45-14:30 Marianela Spicoli: Women, Children, and Food Production in the Roman World (II B.C.-III A.D.

Introduction.
Nora – a Southern Sardinia port- presents a various common ware typology of forms, which is linked, sometimes, with its morphological prototypes.
Aim.
Is there a relationship between form and content? It is possible to reconstruct the functions of the vessels basing on their features?
Methodology.
Ancient authors report the connection between vessels and cooking practise, as well as the animal bones remains and the paleobotanical data allowed us to reconstruct partially the eating habits of Nora.
The morphological characteristics of the forms –in some cases- may be connected with the ancient eating trends and their function may be sometimes explicit, but at the same time hide obscure aspects.
Conclusions.
Common ware study linked with the use of the vessels (casseroles, pots, frying pans, lids, dish, jugs) reveals us the everyday uses of the inhabitants of Nora, strictly connected –in some cases- with their precursors: the Punics.


Keywords
Sardinia, Nora, common ware, function of the vessels, bone remains, paleobotanical remains, eating habits

2ª Sesión:
¿Tipologías? Nuevas metodologías aplicadas en los estudios ceramológicos

Roman Archaeology Conference in Rome, 2016. Call for papers. Session no 5: INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES TO ANCIENT ROMAN DIETS

Session organisers
 Dr Ricardo FERNANDES, University of Kiel (email: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>)
 Dr Roksana Chowaniec, University of Warsaw (email: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>)

Session abstract
Ancient Roman diets have been predominantly investigated relying on information from iconographic and written sources. While these data sources have provided important insights, they also present some limitations and may result in a biased perspective of past dietary patterns. Often historical data pertains mostly to the dietary habits of the upper classes and may include disproportionate references to imported exotic foodstuffs. Furthermore, the relatively limited historical evidence offers only temporally and geographically localized snapshots while a great diversity in dietary habits throughout the extension and duration of the Roman world may be expected. These limitations may be overcome by combining data from historical sources with data obtained from the analysis of material remains using different archaeometric methods. These methods have been applied with great success in the reconstruction of past dietary and culinary habits of diverse historic and pre-historic populations although their use within archaeological research of the Roman world remains comparatively limited. The aim of this session is to promote interdisciplinary approaches to the study of ancient Roman diets. Welcomed contributions are those that combine dietary information obtained from diverse sources including: historical and archaeological, ancient DNA analysis, isotope studies, archaeozoological and archaeobotanical studies, physical anthropology, and pottery residue analysis. The adoption of interdisciplinary approaches to investigate Roman dietary patterns should serve to address relevant archaeological research questions. These include, but are not limited to, the following examples:
a. Potential relationships between access to certain foodstuffs and forms of social or economic differentiation (e.g. gender, profession, class, ethnicity).
b. Impact of cultural norms in dietary choices.
c. Framing dietary patterns within the local environmental context and available food resources in settlement hinterland areas. 
d. Relationships between nutrition and health.
e. Food trade: variety, extension, and intensity.
f. Identifying diachronic patterns in regional dietary habits and observing possible links with socio-political trajectories.

Economic Evidence and Changing Nature of Urban Space in Late Antique Rome by Paul Johnson, is an innovative study that focuses upon the relationship between the importation of amphora-borne foodstuffs, their distribution and discard within the City and what this tells us about changing uses of urban space between the 3rd and 6th centuries AD. There have been a number of archaeological studies of late antique Rome in recent years, most notably Roma dall’antichità all’alto Medievo I and II, as well as a long tradition of studies that have focused upon the pattern of imports to the City. However the relationship between imported foodstuffs and the City as an urban unit has not been so well served.

You will find silphium in many Apician recipes, however if you are going to go out to order it from the herb shop, do not bother, save yourself the trouble because this plant has been declared extinct. However, is it really? And why did it become extinct? We will try to uncover the secrets of this incredible plant in this in-depth analysis. We can start by saying that silphium was already popular in Greece where they generally called it σίλϕυων, silfyon, and specifically called the stem kαuλός, kaulos, the resin οπός, opos (literally sap) and the leaf μαςπετον, maspeton. The Greeks used it to cook a sauce made of silphium from Cyrenaica, vinegar, salt and rue which they used on vegetables and on meats, especially tripe. It was extracted long before the Romans started using it in the various ways that we will see, from the time of Ptolemy IV Philopator¹, whose doctor used it for various afflictions. The Romans used the term silphium, sirpe or laserpicium, which derived from lac + sirpicium, i.e. milk of the sirpe. We will find it in the recipes as laser but this only indicated the extracted juice² and in time it indicated not only silphium extract but also the juice of other similar plants, its substitutes. Therefore, with time this term identified not so much the plant but its juice, liquid in appearance which solidified when in contact with air. The Arabs called it asa, and later asafoetida and even today silphium is a rather widespread plant in certain regions of southern India with the name Assafetida. Today's Arab plant Asafoetida But what plant was it, really? A good description is given to us by Theophrastus of Lesbos³: "The silphium has a great deal of thick root; its stalk is like ferula in size, and is nearly as thick; the leaf, which they call inaspeton, is like celery: it has a broad fruit, which is leaf-like, as it were, and is called the phyllon. The stalk lasts only a year" ⁴. This description leads us to think, with a high probability that it is a plant of the genus Ferula, Apiaceae, or perhaps Umbelliferae; a species of "giant fennel". Above all some coins of that period of time help us. The image on the back side of the coin is a precise representation of this plant. For Silver coin with the image of silphium 1 Ptolemaic dynasty, fourth of the dynasty, reigned from approximately 222 to 204 B.C., when he died. 2 "cuius sucus laser vocatur", "The juice of this plant is called "laser", Pliny the Elder, Natural History, XIX, 15, 38.