Why Bappir Matters: Using Experimental Archaeology of Beer in the Classroom

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Experimental Pedagogies: Teaching through Experimental Archaeology Part 1" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

As a unique category of socially charged material culture, beer has origins stretching back to people’s first obsession with wild grain. The deep time prehistory of beer coupled with the unique role of its psychoactive properties makes it a compelling bridge between academic archaeology and the public, allowing for approachable discussions of the ancient past. Experimental archaeology allows us to bring beer into the classroom in a significant (not necessarily tipsy) way. In a recent upper-level Material Culture Analysis course, I challenged students to create modern homebrew recipes based on the famous Hymn to Ninkasi, specifically involving the creation of bappir, or beer bread. This module includes experiments with malting grain, interpreting ancient texts for operational chain clues, using organic residue analysis and floral evidence to predict ingredients and flavor profiles, and of course brewing based on the students’ research. Through the hands-on experimentation students gain a better sense of what this beverage was in an ancient Mesopotamian context, how to use operational chains to understand a form of technology and devise research strategies, as well as perhaps drinking beer like a Sumerian… through a straw.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Experimental Pedagogies: Teaching through Experimental Archaeology Part 1   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 38705.0