Theme:
5. All Roads Lead to Rome: Multiscalar Interactions
Session format:
Regular session
Title:
Demand for Salt: from Prehistory to the Early Modern Period
Content:
The Archaeology of Salt has a long tradition in Northwestern Europe and the Mediterranean in both the (ethno)archaeological, ethnographic and historical disciplines. As far as the early periods (Neolithic to the postclassical period) are concerned, studies show an emphasis on the changing production modes and trade mechanisms in light of the growing demand for salt caused by population growth. This is the case in the Roman period where in coastal contexts large scale salinae replaced more elaborate modes of marine salt production. Archaeologists lack however a robust insight in the size and nature of salt demand of prehistoric, classical and early medieval societies. Knowledge about these two aspects as well as about the many purposes for which salt was used, might help us interpret the organization and scales of salt production in more detail and to understand what was needed where. This in turn may inform us better on trade mechanisms. For this session we sollicit papers that model salt demand in various periods and contexts, deal with types of salt demand in urban and rural contexts or study salt demand in the context of animal husbandry and pastoralist strategies (transhumance). We also invite those who have experience with salt demand in the medieval to Early Modern Period to contribute to this session in order to bridge the archaeological – historical divide in the study of salt demand.
Keywords:
archaeology of salt, salt demand, salt trade, salt consumption
Session associated with MERC:
no
Session associated with CIfA:
no
Session associated with SAfA:
no
Session associated with CAA:
no
Session associated with DGUF:
no
Session associated with other:
Main organiser:
Peter Attema (Netherlands) 1
Co-organisers:
Agostino Sotgia (Netherlands) 1
Luca Alessandri (Italy) 2
Affiliations:
1. Groningen Institute of Archaeology
2. Sapienza University Rome
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