Beyond Faith? Biomolecular Insights into Foodways in Multifaith Medieval Mediterranean Societies

Add to your list(s) Download to your calendar using vCal

• Michelle Alexander, University of York
• Thursday 20 November 2025, 16:00-17:30
• McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research Seminar Room.

If you have a question about this talk, please contact Akshyeta Suryanarayan.

In this talk, I explore the intersections of food, identity, and socio-political change in the multi-faith societies of the medieval Mediterranean, where Christian, Muslim, and Jewish communities coexisted in complex and shifting ways. Drawing on more than 15 years of archaeological and biomolecular research — including my work on the European and UKRI -funded projects SICTRANSIT , Landscapes of (Re)conquest, and MEDGREENREV — I trace the diets of urban and rural communities in Iberia and Sicily. Stable isotope analysis of human and animal remains, alongside organic residue analysis of pottery, reveals that dietary choices were not simply determined by religious affiliation. Instead, they were shaped by an intricate interplay of socio-economic status, urban–rural divides, political regimes, and environmental change—though exceptions persist. By foregrounding these biomolecular perspectives, the talk demonstrates how food operated as a medium for negotiating belonging, distinction, and identity in the diverse and dynamic societies of the medieval Mediterranean.

The link to join the lecture online is here: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/3693237776111?p=raZyEwVDtKHkBu2fP9

This talk is part of the Department of Archaeology - Garrod seminar series series.

This talk is included in these lists:

• Arch seminars
• Computational and Digital Archaeology Lab (CDAL)
• Department of Archaeology - Garrod seminar series
• McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research Seminar Room

Note that ex-directory lists are not shown.