SC - nasty medieval food was re: pre 1500 cookery

[Daniel Serra]

Hi,
 Just some thoughts about the historians and archaeologists role in this
rumour about medieval cookery.

Though none would admit to it, there is still a sentiment of the dark ages
among some archaeologist, still a perception of the early medieval world
as being dull, dark and damp.

I am currently studying the archaeology of Anglo-Saxon society, and the
amount of prejudices that are present among many of the authors are
scaring. In a discussion of a trade center in the 8th century, Hodges (the
anglo saxon achievement - a dreeadful book) mentions in a brief passage
how dull the food must have been, just after accounting for the ecological
evidence from the place. This in a place were even foreign spices were
present. 

In other ecological studies though evidence has been put forth for various
sorts of domestic herbs and plants...but since this is an ecological study
it did not discuss the frames of what it proved, just presenting the facts
(rackham &rackham  Economy and Ecology in  anglo saxon)

So unfortunately I would say that we owe much of this sentiments,
prejudices to the heavy weight archaeologists and historians..
Hopefully this will change as archaeology is taking different evidence in
account, and archaeologists are less dependent on the predecessing giants

Daniel Serra 





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