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

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