New exhibition opening June 3, 2023
What can burned seeds, dried meats, or waterlogged
fruits, remarkably preserved for thousands
of years, tell us about the past?
Food remains are tiny treasure troves of data that reveal information about people’s decisions, diets, activities, and traditions. Archaeologists study these ancient remains to reconstruct the landscapes that produced them, revealing untold histories and forging connections to the past.
Find out what archaeologists have learned about what ancient people were growing, eating, and drinking, based on evidence left behind at three sites:
Prehistoric harpoon point from present-day Switzerland. 65-25-79
Robenhausen
Waterlogged houses and surfaces at this 6,000-year-old site in present-day Switzerland revealed fishing tools, food remains, and more.
A Bronze-age bowl from a site in present-day Jordan. 2007-10-9
Numayra
This 4,500-year-old community in present-day Jordan contained carbonized plant material that suggests wine production and grain storage.
Potatoes from the site of Pachacamac, present-day Peru. 31187
Pachacamac
The desert landscape of this 1,800-year-old city in present-day Peru preserved corn, potatoes, cloth, basketry, and wood.