Food in Medieval England: Diet and Nutrition (Medieval History and Archaeology)

Food in Medieval England: Diet and Nutrition (Medieval History and Archaeology)

by Dale Serjeantson (Editor), C . M . Woolgar (Editor), TonyWaldron (Editor)

Synopsis

Food and diet are central to understanding daily life in the middle ages. In the last two decades, the potential for the study of diet in medieval England has changed markedly: historians have addressed sources in new ways; material from a wide range of sites has been processed by zooarchaeologists and archaeobotanists; and scientific techniques, newly applied to the medieval period, are opening up possibilities for understanding the cumulative effects of diet on the skeleton. In a multi-disciplinary approach to the subject, this volume, written by leading experts in different fields, unites analysis of the historical, archaeological, and scientific record to provide an up-to-date synthesis. The volume covers the whole of the middle ages from the early Saxon period up to c.1540, and while the focus is on England wider European developments are not ignored. The first aim of the book is to establish how much more is now known about patterns of diet, nutrition, and the use of food in display and social competition; its second is to promote interchange between the methodological approaches of historians and archaeologists. The text brings together much original research, marrying historical and archaeological approaches with analysis from a range of archaeological disciplines, including archaeobotany, archaeozoology, osteoarchaeology, and isotopic studies.

$227.62

Quantity

20+ in stock

More Information

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 364
Edition: 1st Edition
Publisher: OUP UK
Published: 01 May 2006

ISBN 10: 0199273499
ISBN 13: 9780199273492

Media Reviews
[A] very informative and useful book. * Archaeological Review from Cambridge *
This is a most valuable book with...a wealth of new information... * John Langdon, Economic History Review *
The comprehensive breadth of topics within a single volume on medieval food is unprecedented; this book - a successful fusion of multiple perspectives and data - has set a new standard for current understanding and future research. * Aleks Pluskowski, Reviews in History *
a valuable addition to Oxford University Press's impressive Medieval History and Archaeology series * Mark Page, English Historical Review *
a comprehensive and interdisciplinary volume ... an excellent book that is set to become standard reading on the topic for many years to come. * Alan K. Outram, History *
a valuable multidisciplinary contribution to the literature on foodways, diets, and eating practices in medieval England. * Martha Carlin, The Ricardian *
there is no doubt that this book is of great value to researchers working on medieval England, but is also inspiring and pleasant literature for a broader archaeological and historical readership ... The importance of this book is undeniable and it will surely become a milestone in the medieval English literature on diet and nutrition. * Angelos Hadjikoumis, assemblage *
Author Bio

C.M. Woolgar is Reader and Head of Speical Collections at the University of Southampton Library.

D. Serjeantson is Research Fellow in the Department of Archaeology at the University of Southampton.

T. Waldron is Consultant Physician at St. Mary's Hospital, London, and Honorary Professor at the Institute of Archaeology at University College London.