Archaeology of Food

Devoted to "the fundamental connection between food and archaeology," this two-volume set contains 284 entries written by 236 archaeologists and scholars from around the globe. One of the book's major strengths is that it includes recent discoveries and current scientific methods and technologies alongside the older research. The contributors, especially those who wrote the longer, broader topics, effectively explain how new techniques have changed the thinking on certain topics. For instance, the entry on "bioarchaeological analysis" spans 11 pages, beginning with the first use of the phrase in 1972. This work is interdisciplinary, joining science with the humanities to illustrate how food affects every aspect of life, from nutrition to sense of self, with such entries as "food and gender," "food and power," and "food and status." The topics are arranged alphabetically, and a useful thematic table of contents is also included, which helps readers get a sense of related subjects. There are also numerous tables and figures peppered throughout. Each entry contains its own further reading list. Editors Metheny (archaeology, Boston Univ.) and Beaudry (archaeology, anthropology, & gastronomy, Boston Univ.) and contributors have done an admirable job of bringing the science and art of archaeology to food.