You are invited to our 2025-26 Seminar series on Domestic Life in the Ancient World. This will be a hybrid event on Thursday November 20, 2025 at 7.00 pm (Greek time)/ 5.00 pm (Irish time) / 12.00 (EST) by Dr Kyriaki Tsirtsi on ‘Archaeobotanical insights into everyday life in Classical and Hellenistic Sikyon’. Dr Tsirtsi is a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in Archaeobotany at the M.H. Wiener Laboratory for Archaeological Science, American School of Classical Studies at Athens.
Abstract: Daily activities related to food production, procurement, storage, and cooking reflect multiple scales of human social organization - from individual household decisions to broader agricultural regimes and ancient economic models. These dynamics can be effectively illuminated through the study of archaeobotanical remains. This paper presents a comprehensive archaeobotanical investigation at the 1st millennium BCE site of Sikyon, aimed at reconstructing aspects of everyday life during the Classical and Hellenistic periods. Through the systematic analysis of both macrobotanical and microbotanical remains recovered from well-contextualized domestic and workshop-related contexts, the study examines patterns of plant exploitation, including acquisition, processing, and consumption. Particular emphasis is placed on the spatial distribution of botanical evidence enabling the reconstruction of intra-household and craft-related organization. By integrating macro- and micro-scale botanical datasets, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of agricultural practices, urban/ agrarian economies, and culinary patterns, while it sheds light on the role of plant-based resources in shaping urban lifeways and socio-economic structures in the north-eastern Peloponnese.
Further information:
The IIHSA Seminar Series for 2025–2026 will explore various aspects of household life in the ancient world, including labour and production, gender roles, childhood, food practices, and broader issues of social structure and negotiation across different periods and regions. Designed for graduate students and anyone interested in engaging deeply with a topic beyond the traditional lecture format, the series offers participants an opportunity to discuss and exchange ideas directly with experts in the field. Each seminar features a 30–40 minute presentation followed by an open discussion, co-led by the Assistant Director, to encourage active participation and dialogue. A brief bibliography is provided for those who wish to familiarize themselves with the seminar topic.
Bibliography
· Douché, C., Tsirtsi, K. and Margaritis, E. 2021. ‘What's new during the 1st millennium BCE in Greece? Archaeobotanical results from Olynthos and Sikyon’. Journal of Archaeological Science, Reports. Vol. 36, 102782.
· Maltas, T., Tsirtsi, K., and Margaritis, E. 2023. ‘Archaeobotanical remains: sampling and processing in the field’. Chapter in edited volume: in E. Margaritis, A. Oikonomou, E. Nikita and T. Rehren (eds.). Field Sampling for Laboratory Analysis in Archaeology. The Cyprus Institute. 2-11.
· Tsirtsi, K., Henkel, C., Garcia-Granero, J-J., Alphas, E., Pilides, D. and Margaritis, E. 2024. ‘Bringing together macro- and micro-botanical remains in Bronze Age Cyprus: The cases of Alambra-Kato Lakkos and Agios Sozomenos-Ampelia’. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports. Vol. 56, 104554.
· Tsirtsi, K. 2022. Agricultural and Domestic Practices in Classical Sikyon: Evidence from the Archaeobotanical Remains and Utilitarian Pots (Unpublished PhD thesis). The Cyprus Institute. Nicosia. Cyprus
· Zohary, D., Hopf, M. & Weiss, E. 2012. Domestication of Plants in the Old World. Fourth edition. Oxford University Press.
For online attendance please register here:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/1IZ9bpqqSLeI5-1YK7YeWA
To attend in person, please register by email: irishinstitutegr@gmail.com