The Social Archaeology of Food - Thinking about Eating from Prehistory to the Present

This Book Offers A Global Perspective On The Role Food Has Played In Shaping Human Societies, Through Both Individual And Collective Identities. It Integrates Ethnographic And Archaeological Case Studies From The European And Near Eastern Neolithic, Han China, Ancient Cahokia, Classic Maya, The Inka And Many Other Periods And Regions, To Ask How The Meal In Particular Has Acted As A Social Agent In The Formation Of Society, Economy, Culture And Identity. Drawing On A Range Of Social Theorists, Hastorf Provides A Theoretical Toolkit Essential For Any Archaeologist Interested In Foodways. Studying The Social Life Of Food, This Book Engages With Taste, Practice, The Meal And The Body To Discuss Power, Identity, Gender And Meaning That Creates Our World As It Created Past Societies--bookdepository.com. Introduction: The Social Life Of Food -- Part I. Laying The Groundwork. Framing Food Investigation ; The Practices Of A Meal In Society -- Part Ii. Current Food Studies In Archaeology. The Archaeological Study Of Food Activities ; Food Economics ; Food Politics : Power And Status -- Part Iii. Food And Identity : The Potentials Of Food Archaeology. Food In The Construction Of Group Identity ; The Creation Of Personal Identity : Food, Body And Personhood ; Food Creates Society. Christine A. Hastorf, University Of California, Berkeley. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 325-384) And Index. Cover -- Half-title -- Title page -- Copyright information -- Dedication -- Table of contents -- List of figures -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- Chapter 1 Introduction: The Social Life of food -- The Place of Food in Archaeological Research -- Five Themes in This Book -- Materiality -- Social Agency -- The Senses -- Economics -- Taste -- The Centrality of Cultural Food Studies Today -- Book Outline -- Part I Laying the Groundwork -- Chapter 2 Framing Food Investigation -- How People Choose the Food They Eat -- Rules of Edibility -- Omnivore's Paradox -- Nutrition -- The Gift of Food -- The Crafting of Taste -- Creating Civilized Taste in Europe -- Creating Civilized Taste in China -- Taste, Emulation, and Social Position -- Structuralism -- The Humoral Doctrine in Europe -- The Humoral Structure in Asia -- The Flavor Principle -- In Sum -- Chapter 3 The Practices of a Meal in Society -- What is a Meal? -- Archaeological Meals -- Cuisines and the Social Economies of Taste -- Archaeological Cuisines -- In Sum -- Part II Food Studies in Archaeology -- Chapter 4 The Archaeological Study of Food Activities -- Food Production and Procurement -- Food Processing -- Drying, Pickling, and Rotting -- Animal Processing -- Plant Processing -- Food Storage -- Food Preparation (Cooking) -- Food Serving -- Food Consumption (Eating) -- Food Cleanup and Discard -- In Sum -- Chapter 5 Food Economics -- Food Production Models -- Emulation and Inequality: Economics of Desire -- Emulation and Inequality: Control over Production and Access -- Staple and Wealth Finance -- Provisioning -- The Moral Economy -- Euergetism -- In Sum -- Chapter 6 Food Politics: Power and Status -- The Gastropolitics of Daily Life: Gender Status -- The Feast -- Celebratory Feasts -- Potluck Feasts -- Alliance Building Feasts -- Competitive Feasts