> Way of Life in Antiquity> Food and Drink> Food

Ancient Pasta
There is a chance that pasta was present in Italy before Marco Polo introduced it from China.

Carrots
Back in the early days of carrots, they came in red, purple, black, yellow and white. Thought to be originally from Afghanistan 3000 years ago, they spread west and east. In the Mediterranean, their shape was thought to denote power as a love philtre.

Ancient Use for Olive Oil
According to an Ansa article, Olive Oil Fed 2000 B.C. Foundries, the earliest foundries were fueled not with charcoal, but with olive oil. The article says archaeologists believe this use of the oil preceded the recognition that olive oil was good for food.

Wheat
The evolution of wheat involves an unusual process of crossbreeding.

Ancient Foods - Modern Foods to Avoid When Writing Historical Fiction
A look at which foods to avoid when trying to write authentic historical fiction.

The Earliest Domesticated Goats
Archaeology Guide Kris Hirst looks into the origin of the domesticated goat, capra hircus. She says neolithic farmers in the Near East in Iran and Turkey began domesticating them 10,000-11,000 years ago.

Horse and Mule in Ancient Life - Why Mules Were More Popular
A look at horses and mules in ancient life. A comparison of the value of horses and mules for tasks in daily life in the ancient Mediterranean. Also Ancient / Classical History Forum notes on breeding horses and mules.

R.W. Davies and "The Roman Military Diet"
We've been led to think that ancient Romans were mainly vegetarian and that when the legions came into contact with the European barbarians they had trouble stomaching the meat-rich food. Maybe this is too simplistic.

Meals, Food and Table Fellowship in the New Testament
Reader's Guide to Meals, Food and Table Fellowship in the New Testament compares the Judaeans with the Greeks and Romans and describes many aspects of Jewish meals.

Moretum Appendix Vergiliana - Salad
From grinding grain to making flat cakes to accompany cheese and sorrel, this Vergilian poem describes the round of food producing duties of a poor man. English translation.

On Regimen in Acute Diseases
By Hippocrates. Discusses the effects of change from normal dietary patterns.

Silphion
Herb so popular in antiquity it has been extinct since the first century. This page deals mainly with its use as a flavoring agent, but it was also used medicinally, in contraception.

Food in Antiquity, CLASS 220, U. of Saskatchewan
List of terms related to ancient food, especially Roman.

A Taste of the Ancient World
Images of utensils and objects with food motifs, many from Karanis, Egypt where an expedition in 1924-35 took unusual interest in the daily life of an ancient farming town.

What Kind of Food?
Pottery depicting Ancient Athenian butcher and another picture of a scene from an ancient fish market. Also information on fruit, vegetables, meat and dairy products in ancient Greece and Rome.

History of Bread
Ancient Bread Timeline from the Federation of Bakers.