Archaeologies of Foodways and Cuisine

On Tuesday, February 6, 2024, Sarah Oas (Archaeology Southwest) presented “Archaeologies of Foodways and Cuisine” at The Loft Cinema and on Zoom. This talk highlights the importance of food to our minds, bodies, and societies, and explores what archaeological approaches that center foodways and cuisine bring to the table in understanding life in the past. Drawing on several archaeological case studies from the Zuni/Cibola Region, this presentation will explore how the archaeology of kitchens, meals, and staple ingredients can expand our understanding of the importance of foods and foodways both in daily life and in processes of social change.

This presentation was a part of Archaeology Southwest's Archaeology Café series. This eight-part series, from October to May, every first Tuesday at 6 pm (MST), is an informal forum that brings lifelong learners together with experts.

This 2023-2024 season is entitled Nourishing Body, Soul, and Earth: Traditional Foods and Foodways.

Savor recent developments in the understanding and practice of North America's Traditional Foods and Foodways at the 2023–2024 season of Archaeology Café. From archaeological evidence of culinary practices to modern-day farming and food sovereignty, there will be something for every palate!

A wide variety of experts, from zooarchaeologists to Indigenous dry-farmers, will fill your hungry minds with the latest on the past, present, and future of culinary heritage. Come ready to pile your plate high with new knowledge about the social and ecological life of food, from production to preparation to consumption.

Join us at the Archaeology Café "table" on the first Tuesday of each month from October through May. All presentations will take place on Zoom, and we have three hybrid events lined up—the December, January, and February meetings—which will be concurrently hosted at the iconic The Loft Cinema in Tucson.