Program > By author > Jordan Peter

Approaches to the study of Mesolithic foodways and foodscapes have rapidly advanced in recent years. Enriched by a wide range of scientific investigations, increasingly integrated, recent research is demonstrating the varied ways Holocene hunter-gatherer-fishers prepared, consumed and valued foods; from fermenting fish to the flavouring of broths with aromatic plants or the expression of dietary taboos and preferences. New avenues of research are beginning to directly explore the symbolism, preferences and meaning that food held across different Mesolithic societies shifting an agenda traditionally focused on modes of procurement and measuring calories. Rethinking food as a cultural expression rather than a natural resource offers new interpretative perspectives often on data already collected. Food is closely linked with identity, power and politics but what evidence do we have to link consumption to the individual in Mesolithic society? Social aggregation and feasting are frequently observed in accounts of hunter-gatherer-fishers but what evidence is there of this in the European Mesolithic? How were novel, exotic or traditional foods valued in the Mesolithic? What are the major technological or cultural transitions in the ways that food was prepared and eaten? How is the ‘foodscape' linked to mobility and territoriality? With these questions in mind, this session calls for contributions that take Mesolithic food studies to the next level.