The thesis has considered what foods were available to the populations of the Late Iron Age and Roman Britain and the levels of nutrition possible. Evidence for (or the absence of) nutritional deficiency diseases was used to reach conclusions about the standard of health, and knowledge of modern nutritional food models enabled the author to assess the state of health of ancient individuals from a study of the foods to which they had access. To provide a benchmark for what can be ascertained about the Roman’s choices in food production, selection, cooking, consumption and storage, an examination was made of the sites of Pompeii and Herculaneum, where archaeological investigations have revealed aspects of daily life, trade, living and cooking arrangements, food utensils and human remains. A study of the literary sources determined the attitude of the Romans towards food; it was clear that Romans in the ancient world knew how to source their food, and were aware that, if not properly handled, some food could be detrimental to their health. Sites in Britain from the pre-Roman Iron Age were then considered in regards to food production, selection, cooking and storage, in order to be able to assess the situation after the Roman invasion. For the Roman period, different types of sites were considered: small and larger civilian centres and cemeteries, and military bases. To discover if there were regional differences in diet or nutrition, sites were selected from the North, Midlands, East Anglia, the South and South East and the South West. Also discussed was the role that external influences, features and facilities and occupation of each site had on developing the level of health of their inhabitants. It was found that the native and introduced populations throughout Britain during the Romano-British era did have access to a nutritionally sound food supply, and thus it was possible for them to maintain a healthy diet. Despite the introduction of new foods with the advent of the Romans, there was no discernable difference in the state of health and nutrition from the Iron Age to the Roman, with the exception of dental health, where there was a distinct deterioration as the result of sugar-rich foods being added to the diet. Those cases where the nutritional levels of the people fell below what might be considered conducive to good health were probably due to other factors: it was the physical features or facilities of a settlement (or lack of them) and the occupations and economic status of individuals that actually dictated standards of health.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/286651 |
| Creators | Elizabeth Crane |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Detected Language | English |
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