Pompei Food Essay

Explain what Sources A to F reveal about food and dining in Pompeii and Herculaneum?

Through the examination and interpretation of archaeological and written sources, such as wall writings, dining rooms and food remains, archaeologists and historians have been able to gain an insight into the food and dining of the Pompeian and Herculaneum people.

Within the historical context, a triclinium is a room in the Roman house with three couches for dinning purpose. In Source A, the primary evidence of a triclinium in the House of the Cryptoporticus suggests its provenance in Pompeii which may help an historian to identify and understand its function, therefore highlighting the dinning aspect of people in Pompeii. The size, architecture and decor

In the historical context, it was hard bread made from coarse flour. The poor people such as slaves could not afford raised, yeasty loaves therefore they ate unleavened bread, similar to pita bread. The carbonised loaf, shown in Source B found in an oven at Pompeii, must have been left untended when Vesuvius erupted as all the parts of the bread are intact. The structure and shape of the carbonised bread shows eight wedges which is reliable enough to suggest an historian about it's purpose of sharing the meal in a group. Although the source is original, it is not reliable if an historian is studying about the political or trading status of Pompeii, however, it is reliable if an historian is studying about the commercial life of people due to the high consumption rates of bread in everyday life in Pompeii and Herculaneum.T his source if corroborated with other evidence of food items may suggest an historian the knowledge about the production of bread and characteristics of trading systems in Pompeii as the city is used to be a famous

Although Source D depicts of a mosaic which is an artistic impression of the garum bottle, it is unreliable as it provides limited knowledge about the owner's commercial status. However, if an historian's verification of this source with other sources such as the written evidence of inscriptions painted upon small one-handled pottery vessels known as urcei containing the sauce may reveal that he ran a number of workshops. Also around his impluvium were found other four larger-than-life black and white mosaic depictions of fish sauce vessels bearing promotional inscriptions which resembles the mosaic in Source D, therefore increases the source's reliability if an historian is studying about its provenance and purpose. The archaeological evidence of number of garum workshops along with these promotional mosaics suggests the fish sauce as one of the popular snacks in Pompeii and also highlights the industrial status of garum from which many scholars may argue about the regular use of this snack in meals. Different interpretations of this source may lead historians argue on the bias reconstruction of garum business depending on the condition of the artifacts excavated. However, due to the intact condition of the mosaic in Source D may help archaeologists to re-establish the past about it's owner. The reconstruction may also involve