Insights into the Roman diet from Herculaneum

Abstract

Archaeology Both historical sources and standard stable isotope analyses of human remains have offered insights into patterns of food consumption in ancient Rome. However, this research is often not of a sufficiently high resolution to explore variations in diet between the sexes, in different occupations, or with more subtle degrees of social status. To address this shortcoming, Soncini et al. used a combination of stable isotope analysis of bone collagen with Bayesian models of protein synthesis of 17 adults who perished in the 79 CE eruption of Mount Vesuvius. They found that men consumed more fish than women, but in terms of total energy obtained, the diets of both sexes were dominated by cereals, terrestrial animals, olives, and possibly wine. Sci. Adv. 10.1126/sciadv.abg5791 (2021).