ANTH248 - FOOD/FEAST ARCH OF TABLE

Food satisfies human needs on many levels. Anth 248 explores the importance of food in human experience, starting with the nutritional and ecological aspects of food choice and going on to focus on to the social and ritual significance of foods and feasts. Particular attention will be paid to the way that archaeologists and biological anthropologists find out about food use in the past. Contemporary observations about the central significance of eating as a social activity will be linked to the development of cuisines, economies, and civilizations in ancient times. The course will use lectures, discussions, films, food tastings, and fieldwork to explore the course themes. An optional community service component will be outlined the first week of class.