Includes bibliographical references and index.

What is food, and why do archaeologists study it? -- How do archaeologists study food? data sets and methods -- Food and economics -- Food and inequality -- Food and politics -- Identity: food, affiliation, and distinction -- Food, ritual, and religion -- Archaeology, food, and the future.

"The Archaeology of Food explains how archaeologists reconstruct what people ate, and how such reconstructions reveal ancient political struggles, religious practices, ethnic identities, gender norms, and more. Balancing deep research with accessible writing, Katheryn Twiss familiarizes readers with archaeological data, methods, and intellectual approaches as they explore topics ranging from urban commerce to military provisioning to ritual feasting. Along the way, Twiss examines a range of primary evidence, including Roman bars, Aztec statues, Philistine pig remains, Nubian cooking pots, Mississippian squash seeds, and the bones of a medieval king"--