Yorkshire Philosophical Society

Event Information

Pots, People, and Past Culinary Habits: What Science Can Reveal About Medieval Mediterranean Foodways

Dr Jasmine Lundy, Department of Archaeology, University of York

The medieval Mediterranean, spanning from the 6th to the 15th centuries, was a dynamic world shaped by shifting political regimes, religious transformations, diverse populations, and evolving landscapes. Understanding how these changes influenced the daily lives of the people who lived through them is crucial to understanding this period.

Investigating past culinary habits offers unique insights into everyday life in the medieval Mediterranean. Cuisine tells us far more than what resources were available; it reveals how foods were prepared, combined, and consumed, reflecting factors such as wealth, tradition, belief, and cultural identity.

This lecture introduces the scientific techniques used to study these culinary practices, with a focus on organic residue analysis. By extracting chemical residues of fats, oils, and waxes absorbed into ceramic vessels and analysing their molecular signatures using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, we can gain direct insight into the contents of these vessels and reconstruct cooking practices centuries later. This data is complemented by stable isotope analysis of humans, animals, and plants, which measures chemical signals preserved in bone collagen and charred seeds, offering evidence of long-term diet and resource use.

Using case studies from medieval Sicily and Spain, this talk will demonstrate how combining these techniques allows us to unravel complex dietary habits in the context of a changing Mediterranean world.

We are holding this free Cafe Scientifique session on Wednesday 4 February 2026 with doors open from 7pm, talk starting at 7.30pm at City Screen Basement, Coney Street, YO1 9QL   Lift access available. No Booking necessary.

Please buy a drink in the basement bar, take your seats and be ready for a presentation and Q and A.

Member’s report:

Jasmine Lundy used her research in Sicily and Spain to investigate past culinary habits in the period from the 9th to the 11th centuries. This covered the social infrastructure around food, what was eaten, how it was prepared and with whom it was shared. Case studies from a rural and urban site in both Sicily and Spain were conducted with a focus on organic residue analysis (ORA). While it is possible to research animal and vegetal remains, Jasmine’s focus was on residues of fats, oils and waxes absorbed into ceramic vessels by using solvents. From these extracts it was possible to analyse their molecular signatures using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry.

Although variations in diet were revealed between the two areas, for example in rural Spain, there was evidence of sheep and goat but no cow whereas in rural Sicily, sheep, cow and pork were evident but no goat, similar patterns emerged. Slight differences were noted between rural  and urban areas which could be attributed to issues of availability and wealth. Interestingly no evidence of fish was detected in spite of the catches of tuna in Sicily. This gave rise to discussions as to possible other forms of cooking, such as barbecues. Further discussions ensued with regard to glazing and the consequent challenges glazing might present when extracting evidence. Jasmine confirmed that data extraction was still possible but acknowledged that it was more difficult.

Dorothy Nott