Posted on 05/16/2019 5:28:43 PM PDT by BenLurkin
Using chemical analysis of pottery fragments and animal bones found at one of England's earliest medieval villages, combined with detailed examination of a range of historical documents and accounts, the research has revealed the daily diet of peasants in the Middle Ages. The researchers were also able to look at butchery techniques, methods of food preparation and rubbish disposal at the settlement Dr. Julie Dunne and Professor Richard Evershed from the University of Bristol's Organic Geochemistry Unit, based within the School of Chemistry, led the research, published today in the Journal of Archaeological Science.
"Much is known of the medieval dietary practices of the nobility and ecclesiastical institutions, but less about what foods the medieval peasantry consumed."
The scarce historical documents that exist that tell us that medieval peasant ate meat, fish, dairy products, fruit and vegetables but there is little direct evidence for this.
The OGU team used the technique of organic residue analysis to chemically extract food residues from the remains of cooking pots used by peasants in the small medieval village of West Cotton in Northamptonshire.
(Excerpt) Read more at phys.org ...
This has all been known for years and years. It’s not like we don’t have written records of recipes. Bottom line...you eat what’s available.
Perhaps the fat peasants were kept food diaries in order to facilitate weight loss. They should look for their food diaries. Or maybe look for Ye Olde Jenny Craig Weight Loss Centers.
I read that most peasants ate Pheasants.
They probably at freshly killed chicken, other animals, fresh vegetables and fruits, ate better and healthier than the rich folk.
Do you think that that they were locavores?
They actually had menus?
Pretty much.
Between the beef and mutton stew, and the green cheeses, we can be quite sure they were not vegan.
Wow...that is SO MUCH easier than doing all that dirty archeological work! You didn’t even dirty your fingernails.
>>>Imagine a career studying medieval leftovers... <<<
Imagine the artifacts they’ll find in the San Francisco downtown area. What will petrified poo say?
Some findings are significant. The article never suggested that they were rewriting historic by their analysis, but it certainly suggested that there is an interesting method of confirming the historical text that had been available. For instance, it is very interesting that apparently their diet was high in protein. That suggests a significant level of wealth, and absence of overpopulation, and a tendency to be restive if there was, in fact, any reason to dissent. Suppression of a protein diet is a common means of oppression.
In other words, the latest scientific analysis confirms what we knew from written sources and common sense.
Beats a poke in the eye with a sharp stick, as my late father used to say.
Four fried chickens and a coke.
“My love don’t bring me presents
I know she ain’t no pheasant”
Medieval Europeans had no potatoes, coffee, or “soft drinks” other than water or milk.
You walk into a room full of people.
How do you tell which one is vegan?
The meat and dairy products available to the residents surely varied across the centuries. The article does not date the specific finds.
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