Ancient Indigenous Cuisines
Archaeological Explorations of the Midcontinent

Susan M Kooiman (Edited by), Jodie A. O'Gorman (Edited by), Autumn M. Painter (Edited by), Rebecca K. Albert (Contributions by), Alleen Betzenhauser (Contributions by), Jennifer R. Haas (Contributions by), Mary M. King (Contributions by), Susan M Kooiman (Contributions by), Mary E. Malainey (Contributions by), Terrance J. Martin (Contributions by), Fernanda Neubauer (Contributions by), Kelsey Nordine (Contributions by), Jodie A. O'Gorman (Contributions by), Autumn M. Painter (Contributions by), Jeffrey M. Painter (Contributions by), Kimberly Schaefer (Contributions by), Mary Simon (Contributions by)

9780817361822, The University of Alabama Press

Paperback / softback, published 14 January 2025

326 pages, 34 B&W figures, 6 maps, 18 tables
22.9 x 15.2 x 2.5 cm, 0.513 kg

"Demonstrates how much progress archaeologists have made studying food, dishes, and meals in their broader social and geographical contexts. The editors showcase research in the North American Midcontinent while demonstrating examples of globally relevant theoretical approaches and advances in techniques."—Gayle Fritz, author of Feeding Cahokia: Early Agriculture in the North American Heartland

New essays from foodways archaeology related to cuisine in social, cultural, and environmental contexts

This collection of original essays is the first to cover recent trends in foodways archaeology in the Midwest using the concept of cuisine: the selection of food ingredients and methods of food preparation, cooking, and serving/consumption in relation to their social, cultural, and environmental contexts. This work span the Early Archaic (9000 BC) to Late Precontact (up to around AD 1500) in ecological zones of present-day Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Manitoba. Chapters trace development from hunter-gathering to horticultural practices to the more robust farming/fishing/hunting model centered on maize, squash, and other domesticates.

As Susan M. Kooiman, Jodie A. O’Gorman, and Autumn M. Painter note, identification of past cooking habits and evolving methods for foodstuffs identification can help archaeologists to reconstruct foodways and connect food behaviors with identity and associated fundamental societal beliefs. Contributors to this collection use cutting-edge methods and perspectives and consider a range of questions and outcomes that demonstrate the versatility and strength of culinary studies. To move the field forward, contributors also note areas for further analysis and improvement.

This volume targets archaeologists and students, archaeobotanists and zooarchaeologists, and those curious about Indigenous food culture. Engaging content includes chapters on the construction of earth ovens, the use-alteration of pottery and residue, a discussion of cuisine combining plant and animal data with ceramic trends, and the various contexts of plates to understand cooking methods and the social role of cuisine. Others examine faunal remains, the plant remains of feasting, the introduction of maize, the use of limestone nixtamalization, and archaeobotanical assemblages that reveal shifts in cuisine. A conclusion addresses the question, Why cuisine?

CONTRIBUTORS

Rebecca K. Albert / Alleen Betzenhauser / Jennifer R. Haas / Mary M. King / Susan M. Kooiman / Mary E. Malainey / Terrance J. Martin / Fernanda Neubauer / Kelsey Nordine / Jodie A. O’Gorman / Autumn M. Painter / Jeffrey M. Painter / Kimberly Schaefer / Mary Simon

List of Illustrations