Culinary practices and pottery use in Minoan Crete. Integrating lipidic residue analysis in the study of cooking vessels from Sissi and Malia

Abstract

Minoan cooking practices and subsistence strategies have been an integral part of the archaeological discourse in Aegean prehistory for the past 20 years, although the focus was largely on feasting deposits and food consumption. Given that the spectrum of human activities related with food production and preparation is wide and complex, shedding light on pottery use can reveal important information on the resources available and the practices of cooking involved, as well as their social repercussions.We report on the analytical investigation of cooking vessels from two neighboring Minoan settlements, Sissi and Malia, both located in north east Crete. In particular, eleven (11) samples were selected from cooking pottery excavated in Area Pi, district of the Malia palace dated to the Neopalatial period. Another twenty-nine (29) cooking pottery samples were chosen from Sissi dated from Neopalatial to Postpalatial periods and therefore extending the chronological scope of the project. Molecular analysis was implemented, as part of an integrated approach on study of cooking vessels, aiming at exploring the resources available, food habits and vessel use during Middle and Late Minoan period. To this end different vessels of common cooking types were analysed, such as tripod cooking pots, cooking jars and cooking dishes. The data generated revealed the use of beeswax and Pinaceae resins, as well as the preservation of lipids derived from plant and animal fats.Significant data on vessel use through time was generated, providing significant insights on the manifold relationship between food procurement, preparation and consumption practices and on the potential of new research methods in their investigation in Minoan Crete.