You are invited to our 2025-26 Seminar series on Domestic Life in the Ancient World. This will be a hybrid event on Thursday October 23rd at 7.00 pm (Greek time)/ 5.00 pm (Irish time) / 12.00 (EST) by Dr. Anastasia Dimoula (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki), “Cooking practices and ceramic vessels in northern Greece during the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods (7th-2nd millennium BCE)”
Abstract: Ceramic vessels used in cooking practices constitute an effective proxy for exploring change and variability in the technologies and perceptions of foodways. Within the ERC project PlantCult (PI: Prof. S.M. Valamoti),a holistic approach to cooking pottery has been applied, integrating typological study, technological characterisation, use-wear and content analyses, along with experimental investigations. The case study presented here focuses on prehistoric Northern Greece, where systematically examined contexts have provided a comprehensive image of prehistoric everyday and special-occasion activities. The results indicate that cooking vessels share a set of technological attributes linked to thermal performance and use, yet they also exhibit marked variability through time and across regions. This variability reflects intersecting cultural affiliations and context-specific choices, shaped by environmental features, regional factors, as well as ceramic and culinary traditions.
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
· Dimoula, A., Z. Tsirtsoni, P. Yiouni, I. Stagkidis, M. Ntinou, S. Prevost-Dermarkar, E.Papadopoulou, & S.Μ.Valamoti. (2020) “Experimental Investigation of Ceramic Technology and Plant Food Cooking in Neolithic Northern Greece.” STAR: Science & Technology of Archaeological Research 5 (2): 269–286.
· Dimoula, A., S. Koulidou, Z. Tsirtsoni, E. Standall, O. E. Craig, and S. M. Valamoti. (2022) “Fusion Cuisine in the Shadow of Mount Olympus: An Integrated Study of Middle and Late Bronze Age Cooking Pots.” In Cooking with Plants in Ancient Europe and Beyond: Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Archaeology of Plant Foods, edited by Soultana Maria Valamoti, Anastasia Dimoula, and Maria Ntinou, 257–276. Oxford and Philadelphia: Oxbow Books.
· Lis, B. (2017) “Mycenaean Cooking Pots: Attempt at an Interregional Comparison.” In Ceramics, Cuisine and Culture: The Archaeology and Science of Kitchen Pottery in the Ancient Mediterranean World, edited by Michela Spataro and Alexandra Villing, 155–165. Oxford and Philadelphia: Oxbow Books.
· Morrison, J. E., C. Sofianou, T. M. Brogan, J. Alyounis, and D. Mylona. (2015) “Cooking Up New Perspectives for Late Minoan IB Domestic Activities: An Experimental Approach to Understanding the Possibilities and Probabilities of Using Ancient Cooking Pots.” In Ceramics, Cuisine and Culture: The Archaeology and Science of Kitchen Pottery in the Ancient Mediterranean World, edited by Michela Spataro and Alexandra Villing.
· Valamoti, S. M., A. Dimoula, and M. Ntinou, eds. (2022) Cooking with Plants in Ancient Europe and Beyond: Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Archaeology of Plant Foods.
For online attendance please register here:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/dLbwEHwsShWkE92cLhVspQ
To attend in person, please register by email: irishinstitutegr@gmail.com