Identifying Foodways In Early Modern Ireland Using A Multi-isotope Approach

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "FoodCult: Food, Culture and Identity in Ireland, c.1550-1650", at the 2023 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

This paper presents preliminary results of isotopic analysis of early modern individuals excavated from archaeological sites in Ireland, generated as part of the FoodCult project. A variety of populations from across Ireland are represented, allowing for discussions regarding the social and cultural meaning of food in these different contexts.

Analysis of isotopes in archaeological skeletal material uniquely allows for information to be generated about dietary consumption on an individual and population scale. Aside from research specifically associated with the Great Irish Famine, very little isotopic research has been carried out in Ireland for this period, and so it is hoped the data generated as part of this project will provide significant new insights into everyday diet in early modern Ireland. When integrated with historical and archaeological contextual information generated by the FoodCult project, this will allow us to discuss what was eaten, where and by whom.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2023   •
• FoodCult: Food, Culture and Identity in Ireland, c.1550-1650

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Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow