H. E. M. Cool

This is a book for the serious Roman Britain enthusiast, amateur or professional. Despite a considerable amount of technical data, it is clearly and even amusingly written, with a dry and perceptive wit which makes it a pleasure to read. After an introductory chapter ("Aperitif"), the author discusses the food itself, packaging, human remains, written evidence, kitchen and dining basics, staples, meat, dairy products, poultry and eggs, fish and shellfish, game, greens, and drink. This is followed by four time-based chapters covering the conquest, the development and decline of Roman Britain, and the period after the Roman withdrawal. This book will not give you recipes for Roman Britain - there are other books for that - but it will tell you the state of current archaeological knowledge regarding what foodstuffs and drinks were available in various parts of the country and how people were probably using them. In the process the author uses this evidence to tell us some surprising things about those people themselves.… (mer)