Beyond staple crops: exploring the use of ‘invisible’ plant ingredients in Minoan cuisine through starch grain analysis on ceramic vessels.
(2021) Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences — Vol. 13, n° 8, p. 128 (2021)
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- Abstract
- Systematic archaeobotanical research in the Bronze Age Aegean has greatly expanded our knowledge regarding staple crops and aspects such as palaeoecology, human diet and food production. However, some plant foodstuffs remain ‘invisible’ to conventional archaeobotanical methods. This study explores the use of plant ingredients in Minoan cuisine through the analysis of starch grains from cooking or cooking related vessels from two Minoan sites, Sissi and Malia. By combining available macrobotanical, textual and ethnobotanical data with newly acquired microbotanical evidence from cooking vessels, this study expands the list of plant species cooked and consumed in Minoan cuisine and enables a further exploration of food-related practices. In particular, we were able to document starch grains from staple crops (Triticeae), underground storage organs, tiger nut (Cyperus esculentus) and cumin (Cuminum cyminum). The identification of previously unattested plant ingredients of Minoan cuisine broadens the horizon of food consumption practices and contributes to the discussion regarding the economic and social meaning of food consumption in Minoan communities during Final Palatial and Post- Palatial periods.
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Tsafou, E., & Garcia-Granero Juan José. (2021). Beyond staple crops: exploring the use of ‘invisible’ plant ingredients in Minoan cuisine through starch grain analysis on ceramic vessels. Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 13(8), 128. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-021-01375-4 (Original work published 2021)