Bioarchaeological preservation and non-elite diet in the Bay of Naples: An analysis of the food remains from the Cardo V sewer at the Roman site of Herculaneum

A rare opportunity to study the diet of middle and lower class Romans in mid-1st century AD Italy has been provided by the analysis of food remains from the Cardo V sewer at Herculaneum, preserved by the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79. The study identified 194 taxa, including 94 botanical, 45 fish, and 53 shellfish species, with 113 considered edible foodstuffs, indicating a high level of dietary diversity. The preservation conditions were found to be comparable to those in Pompeii, with no major taphonomic biases observed. The diet of non-elite individuals was characterized by a few staple foods supplemented by a wide range of other goods, with subtle differences likely related to variations in wealth.

Rowan, E. (2016). Bioarchaeological preservation and non-elite diet in the Bay of Naples: An analysis of the food remains from the Cardo V sewer at the Roman site of Herculaneum. Environmental Archaeology, 22(3), 318–336. https://doi.org/10.1080/14614103.2016.1235077