Bigger fish to fry: Fishing and fish consumption in Archaic Greek Sicily
Join the AIA-Nashville Society and the Nashville Parthenon for a virtual symposia held via Zoom on Thursday, September 23 at 6 PM (CST). This symposium is free and open to the public. Register below.
ABOUT THE SYMPOSIUM: Join the AIA-Nashville Society and the Nashville Parthenon for a Virtual Symposium!
Dr. Davide Tanasi will talk about fish and fish products! They are an important nutritive source for humans, rich in proteins, fats and fat-soluble vitamins and they were largely celebrated and discussed in various genres of Greek literatures.
The rich mass of data on fish cooking and consumption documented for Greek Sicily, specifically Syracuse, finds a controversial counterpart in the material culture. Whereas the artistic representations of the world of fishing and fish mongering are rather numerous, the scanty archaeological evidence of fishing gear opposes them.
In order to shed light on the problem of fish consumption in Greek Sicily and to define the role of fish in the diet of the local communities, this presentation will focus on the new data emerging from stable isotopes analysis on skeletal remains from the Archaic period necropoleis of Himera and Syracuse.
New evidence will be discussed in order to highlight possible connections between burials and the dietary habits of the inhumated individuals. The University of South Florida study will compare dietary regimens with social status exemplified by the funerary context. The comparison with the evidence from Himera will allow for a critical revision of the literary sources and reinterpretation of the archaeological record and establish what was the role of fish at the table of the Greeks of Sicily.
Dr. Davide Tanasi is an Associate Professor at the University of South Florida. He holds a Ph.D. in Classical Archaeology from the University of Torino, Italy.
Sponsored by Archaeological Institute of America- Nashville Society, Centennial Park Conservancy, Vanderbilt University, and Metro Nashville Parks and Recreation.