SC - Archaeologists Recreate Famous King's Entombed Meal

[James F. Johnson]

I pretty much ignored this thread at the beginning. Odd, if you consider
that my background in archaeology (especially experimental archaeology,
which deals with recreating artefacts) and I enjoy cooking. But I
smelled it for what it was from the first: journalistic 'science' fluff
and the resignation of academia to perform for money, otherwise known as
'fund-raising.'

After reading both articles, I'll lay down money that it wasn't an
archaeologist who thought of the idea of recreating the meal as a
fundraiser, unless a department chair was put under pressure to raise
money. Someone came across the subject of the research (food residues in
a burial site), added it to the fact that it was "King Midas's" tomb
(heavy name recognition, with a tie-in to big money) and did the
foundation fund-raising fandango. It appeals to the vanity of many rich
people to eat a meal associated with King Midas. Many rich people who
lack sufficient science background and logic skills to understand the
margin for error for this is way heavy. The archaeologists provided the
shopping list, the caterers provided the recipes (tuned to modern money
rich palates) and table service, the diners provided the large sums of
cash to keep the museum running. 

This is also the kind of flashy 'science' story that sells well in the
news media. The funeral feast of the legendary King Midas. Again, most
people lack the science training and reasoning skills to see the great
leaps of logic and assumption that are involved. I say it is bad
journalism that claimed "Archaeologists Recreate Famous King's Entombed
Meal." This is not the only time I've read a journalistic article about
some science discovery where I could not only tell the story was written
for better public entertainment (and circulation) but that the writer
didn't understand scientific method. I've seen the report turn a
'possibility' into a 'proof'. As an example, how many stories about the
SCA are accurate versus the number that make for good window dressing? I
am a little surprised that some of us didn't recognize it happening to
someone else.

As to whether or not reconstructing the meal is science or playing: in
the context of the fundraiser, it is playing for money, and I don't
think any of the archaeologists involved in the research would privately
claim the meal is a reconstruction of the meal found in the tomb.
However, they might attempt a few experimental recreations, and subject
the remains to similar examination to see if the results are similar.
That is scientific research. Just the same as when 'Lainie just finished
a houppelande based on a brass tomb effigy, she clasped her hands
together as the effigy was, and the sleeves hung and draped exactly as
did the effigy. It is reasonable to assume she got the cut of the cloth
right.

McGovern and DeVries, who did the research, never mention the 'recreated
feast', only the caterer does, and admits it's "extrapolated." McGovern
was involved with recreating the mead-beer-wine beverage, but that is
not a part of the Midas feast.

Seumas
- -- 
Roi ne suis prince, ni duc, ni comte aussi; je suis sire de
Bruyerecourt.