Jan 13

Question 1

How do we know what the roman ate

Answer 1

• Writings like Apiscu: Sive, Liber de Re Coquinaria discuss what the Romans ate
• Finding bones from livestock can tell us what animals different areas consumed and how this changed over time
• For example, pigs and oysters became more prevalent with Roman expansion.
• Punic colonies, Magna Graecia, and Greek sites had cows and sheep as the most common
• Etruscan sites had pigs as the primary livestock animal

Question 2

How do we know about Roman agriculture

Answer 2

Books writing about agriculture are present, such as Cato and Varro on Agriculture.

Some paintings depict the food that romans ate, including one of a pizza from pompeii

We can also recover seeds and pollen showing what crops were the most prevalent.

Data can be very specific to where you are digging

Question 3

what can experimental archeology

Answer 3

• Full-scale reconstruction of two mediterranean vessels have been attempted
  
  • Each a different approach to experimental archaeology
• Kyrenia Wreck
• Trireme project
  Both experiments were successful

Question 4

describe the Kyrenia Wreck

Answer 4

• Kyrenia Wreck - 300 BC
  
  • Documentatino of the excavation
  • Transformed into a full-scale sea going vessel

Question 5

describe the Trireme project

Answer 5

• Trireme project
  
  • Recontruct an Athenian trireme of the 6-5th century
  • No remains known from a trireme
  • Evidence from iconographic and historical sources
  • Combined with naval architectonic principles

Question 6

What is another example of experimental ship archaeology

Answer 6

Another example

• A replica was built and sunk
  
  • wanting to monitor decomposition process
• The 15 by 5m ship was constructed in 40 days
• Was submerged to a depth of 14 m on October 27 2006
  
  • In 2008 the hull of the wreck remained intact
    
    • Only minor decomposition
  • The fabric of the sail decomposed within the first year

Question 7

what is a non ship example of experimental archaeology

Answer 7

Pottery is the most commonly found artifact

A group of researches recreated an Iberian kiln in the ground, and used local clay to create reconstructions of Iberian pottery

Question 8

What can Archaeometry do

Answer 8

Determined the intended firing temp for pottery

Can use the chemical signatures to determine the temperatures pottery was fired at. Can tell if it was overfired, underfired, etc

Chemistry can also be used to analyze the signature of the clay an determine its place of origin.

Ex Clay from Naples is less Calcareous then Vesubian, which is less than Etruscan/Latial

Question 9

what do Isotopic studies do

Answer 9

When archaeologists find coins or some other metals they can examine the ratios of isotopes like lead to tell the place of origin for the metal.

Gives information such as the origin of most roman silver being from southern Spain.

Question 10

what. can DNA show us about movement

Answer 10

• Recent science
• Looking at certain bones, notably ear bones, can give mitochondrial DNA from the maternal line. Allows genetic mapping to see how people moved over time.
• Show that in some cases with cultural change after Roman occupation doesn’t involve a large influx of Roman DNA from people moving in, change is mostly cultural.
• In cemetaries can find the some people were born far away, while others were local

Question 11

how can we use the strontium isotope

Answer 11

Strontium isotope analysis can show where people lived based on the plants they ate

Question 12

How can we use Enthonarchaeology

Answer 12

Enthonarchaeology can be useful in filling in some gaps

Especially useful in fields such as:

Agriculture:

• Ox drawn plow
• Iron handle sickle

Metalworking

Transportation

• Horse
• Cart

Construction

• mud-brick
• timber

Question 13

why is Cross-culture evidence problematic

Answer 13

Ethnographical evidence can be used to interpret aspects of the ancient world

Cross-cultural evidence is always problematic

When more alike cultures are

• technology
• environmental
• economy
• Greater the value of this type of evidence.