The Bountiful Sea: Fish Processing and Consumption in Mediterranean Antiquity

Journal of Maritime Archaeology (2018) 13:207–217 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11457-018-9215-1 INTRODUCTION The Bountiful Sea: Fish Processing and Consumption in Mediterranean Antiquity Angela Trentacoste1 · Rebecca Nicholson2 · Dimitra Mylona3 Published online: 15 November 2018 © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2018 The Bountiful Sea This special issue has its origins in an international conference entitled The Bountiful Sea: Fish Processing and Consumption in Mediterranean Antiquity, made possible by the generous support of Christian Levett, and The Craven Committee, Red Boat, Green Pastures, The Oxford Roman Economy Project, and the British School at Rome. The conference, held at the University of Oxford on 6–8 September 2017,1 grew from an ambitious idea proposed by Andrew ‘Bone’ Jones, over dinner at the 2015 ICAZ Fish Remains Working Group meeting in Lisbon: to bring together archaeologists, archaeological scientists, ecologists, classicists, and culinary experts—groups who work in very different spheres, but who possess a shared interest in fishing and fish—to illuminate the evolution and significance of the exploitation of marine resources in the ancient Mediterranean and to identify areas where the past could inform the present. This event was to be a feast for body as well as mind, and an innovative culinary program led by Sally Grainger offered a tasting dinner of recreated recipes, with further opportunities to sample an array of contemporary processed fish products and artisanal fish sauces (see Mylona and Grainger 2018). These opportunities to engage with fish and fish sauces on an experiential level offered far more than simply a conversation starter; they also raised questions about ancient versus modern taste preferences, the nutritional value of fish products, and traditional methods of production—questions which in many instances the modern producers present, Red Boat and Green Pastures, were able to address. Red Boat produces a fish sauce using only fish and salt following ancestral recipes; their insights into food safety, fish to salt ratios, pressing methods, and marine species present in catches for sauce production have direct relevance for study of ancient sauce production and residue analyses. Green Pasture’s innovative use of fermented fish oils as dietary supplements, offers an instructive case of resilience of 1 For details on the conference academic program and activities see http://oxrep.classics.ox.ac.uk/pages/ thebountifulsea/. * Angela Trentacoste 1 Institute of Archaeology, University of Oxford, 36 Beaumont Street, Oxford OX1 2PG, UK 2 Oxford Archaeology, Janus House, Osney Mead, Oxford OX2 0ES, UK 3 Institute for Aegean Prehistory-Study Centre for East Crete, Rethymno, Greece 13 Vol.:(0123456789) 208 Journal of Maritime Archaeology (2018) 13:207–217 traditional technology and adaptation to the changing needs of the consumers, a phenomenon very much relevant to the study of the ancient world. This special issue aims to be as bountiful as the conference in the evidence and approaches it encompasses, to offer a cornucopia of research on fish and fish processing in Mediterranean antiquity that extends geographically from east to west and thematically from sea to table. The contributions in this volume were originally presented as papers at this conference, although, unfortunately, inclusion of all the papers and posters was beyond the scope of a single issue and some presenters chose not to submit. As at the conference, the contributions published herein focus on classical antiquity in the Mediterranean as a defined region but occasionally venture outside it chronologically and geographically. The papers provide an update on the state of research into fish processing in Mediterranean antiquity from different vantage points: archaeological, historical, archaeometric, and gastronomic. Together, they unite different approaches, consider the value of sensory experience, and promote dialogue between scholars of the ancient and modern worlds. The scope of the papers invites discussion between specialists working in the eastern and western Mediterranean and fosters a new dialogue with researchers interested in contemporary Mediterranean fish policy and issues of sustainability (see Koutrakis 2018). Finally, this issue captures a small part of one of the conference’s most innovative aspects: the opportunity for a sensorial approach to processed fish, offered by a series of culinary events, including the conference dinner of re-created dishes from antiquity, the “bring and share” processed fish buffet, and the live demonstrations by modern producers of contemporary processed fish products (see Mylona and Grainger 2018). Overview Fish processing—and that of other elements of the marine world—is one of the most intensively researched aspects of the marine economy of the ancient Mediterranean, due both to the abundance of identifiable remains of the industry, and to its far reaching implications for local and regional economies. Research on the nature and exploitation of marine resources in Mediterranean antiquity has blossomed over the last 30 years, reflecting not only the re-orientation of archaeological and historical research towards fields pertaining to the ancient economy and environment, but also the increasing tendency towards interdisciplinarity. The literature on the topic is vast. Ichthyo-archaeological studies from all over the Mediterranean have increased significantly in recent years, including research into classical and related periods (e.g. Morales-Muñiz and Roselló-Izquierdo 2012; Çakırlar et al. 2016). Research on fishing technology, an important but consistently understudied area, is currently gaining momentum (Powell 1996; Ayodeji 2004; Bekker-Nielsen and Bernal-Casasola 2010; Galili et al. 2013). Regional comprehensive studies, with varying chronological focus, have demonstrated the potential of the extant archaeological and historical records and have indicated future research directions (Bekker-Nielsen 2005; Mylona 2008; Costa and Fernández 2012; Marzano 2013; Moya-Cobos 2016). Attention on processing installations continues, from individual reports on excavated cetariae (fish processing plants) (Bernal-Casasola et al. 2016), to compilations of data (Trakadas 2015), and the creation of 13 Journal of Maritime Archaeology (2018) 13:207–217 209 databases (RAMPPA2). As knowledge of ancient fishing has expanded, so has the dialogue between archaeologists and natural scientists, as better understanding of ecological history can lead to better informed decisions on contemporary management of resources (Boero 2016; Mazzoldi et al. 2018). The last decade has also seen greater consensus that fishing and fish processing was an economically important and profitable enterprise in Classical antiquity, especially in the Roman western Mediterranean—a topic which has generated great interest (...truncated)