Presented by Dr Madeline Shanahan

It is hard to argue with the well-known adage 'you are what you eat'. Food shapes both our bodies, but also our minds and is an important part of culture and identity for much of human history.  It is also a subject that is particularly suited to archaeological investigation. So much of the material we collate as archaeologists, from the remains of plants and animals, to the vessels we cook with and eat off, to what gets left over as waste or in cess pits, all help to tell the story of what people ate...in one way or another.  What people ate gives us an insight into how they lived, and what was important to them.

Over the past decade, archaeologists around the world have developed an increasing appetite for the study of food, which now plays a central role in the study of gastronomy and its history. Research drawing together studies crossing the very broad field of archaeology, from food history, to material culture, the archaeological sciences and experimental studies, has helped shed new light on meals eaten long ago in a range of contexts. This talk will explore the many approaches to the archaeology of food globally, highlighting multidisciplinary studies undertaken in Ireland, which form an important body of emerging research of relevance to Australian historical food studies. It explores what these approaches can contribute to the study of gastronomy, and suggests pathways for investigation in Australia.

Importantly, the session will also stimulate the taste buds, as we will stay for dinner after Madeline’s talk, to explore the delicious food at the Terminus Hotel, first licensed in 1841.

Bookings for this event are now full, our apologies.

Cost: Free, but you will need to buy your own dinner and drinks

When: 6pm, Monday 17 May 2021

Where: Terminus Hotel, 61 Harris Street, Pyrmont NSW 2009