A Taste of the Ancient World

an exhibit about Greco-Roman eating and drinking, farming and starving presented by undergraduates in

Classical Civilization 452: Food in the Ancient World

The Kelsey Museum of Archaeology
October 24th, 1996 - July 21st, 1997


 

In our own society, there is no escaping the significance of food. Food and drink keep us alive. They feed our imagination and stimulate our senses. They communicate beliefs. They distinguish rich from poor. They are a blessing that can sometimes become a curse.

Each of these statements would have been equally true in the ancient Mediterranean world. This exhibit has been designed by undergraduate students to provide just a 'taste' of the complexities of Greco-Roman food production and consumption.

Many - but by no means all! - of the 'food-related' objects in the holdings of the Kelsey Museum are physically on display. This electronic exhibit is designed to showcase items that are kept in storage, and to expand the range of artifacts we can study to explore the significance of food in the ancient world.

This exhibit is divided into two parts: Feeding Karanis and More Food for Thought.

Introduction

Feeding Karanis

  • Farming and Processing
    Grain
    Grapes
    Olive Oil
    Pigeons
    Fish
  • Storage and Cooking
    Pottery
    Knives
  • Serving and Eating
    Pottery
    Glass
  • More Food for Thought

  • Pharonic Egypt
  • The Greco-Roman Mediterranean
    Symposium
    Fishy Matters
    The Roman Food Industry
    Images on Coins
    Religion and Death

  • The text and images in The Kelsey On-Line are for the personal use of students, scholars, and the public. All images are subject to international copyright laws. Any commercial use or publication of text or images is strictly prohibited.

    Feeding Karanis

     More Food for Thought

    Exhibit Acknowledgements

       
     

     Kelsey Museum Homepage

     

    Last updated September 10, 1997 by Melanie D. Grunow. Comments and questions about this website may also be directed to Professor Sue Alcock.