Since the times of Roman Hispania Many things have changed on the peninsula, but there is something that remains unchanged, immune to the passing of centuries and the fall of empires: what you eat is directly related to the amount of money you have in your pocket. The more zeros in the bank, the greater the probability (probability) that you will eat better quality foods.
It happens today and it happened in the 5th century, in the times of the town of Nohedaa settlement located 18 km from what is now Cuenca. When analyzing their remains, archaeologists have found that what their landowners ate had nothing to do with the diet on which slaves and workers subsisted.
In a place in Castilla-La Mancha… One of the most fascinating Roman sites on the peninsula is located: the ancient town of Nohedalocated just under 20 kilometers from Cuenca and which was inhabited between the 1st centuries BC and 6th AD It may not be the best known in Spain, but the enclave stands out for several reasons, mainly, as remember from the centerfor hosting “one of the most spectacular figurative mosaics of the Roman Empire.”
Another of the peculiarities of Noheda is that it is a relatively ‘young’ site. That there was a Roman settlement in the area was something known since ancient times: A map from 1554 is preserved in which the area is already cited as “Villar de la Vila” and references from 1893 about the complex and its mosaics. However, the phase of more detailed studies it’s recentwhich has allowed experts to peer into its remains with the tools offered by modern science.
What did its inhabitants eat? In Noheda, researchers have not only found a thermal areaa impressive mosaic preserved and remains of what was the residential area (urban pars) and farmers’ homes (pars rustica). Archaeologists have also found a large number of bones, vessels with organic remains and a small necropolis, apparently unconnected pieces but which, together, hide the answer to a fascinating question:
What did the inhabitants of the village eat? And above all, were there differences between the urban pars and the rustic? Did the diet vary a lot between the rich and the humble?
Science to the rescue. To answer these unknowns, archaeologists have had a wide (and above all diverse) toolbox at their disposal. That the questions are posed today, in the 21st century, has allowed them to resort to techniques that analyze seeds, wood remains, pollen, bones, human collagen… a wide amalgam of clues that include, remember The Country Miguel Ángel Valero, director of the site, remains of oysters or even bird bones in which the teeth of humans and dogs can still be seen.
Tell me what social class you are… And I’ll tell you what you eat, which is basically what the Noheda archaeologists have been analyzing, where they have confirmed the clear differences that existed between the wealthiest families, housed in the urban parsand the slaves and field workers who lived in the pars rustica.
The research has also yielded striking conclusions, such as the one advanced a few days ago the SER chain. In the town, experts have found remains that tell us of a high consumption of young donkey meat.
Is it something new? Yes. And no. Archaeologists knew that in late ancient times this type of meat was consumed, especially among the humblest classes, but it was a little-known practice on the peninsula. The study of the remains has also revealed hunting and agricultural patterns and, above all, how the locals adapted their diet as the town went into decline.
As explains Valeroits objective is not only to peek into the life of luxury of the town’s potentates, but to understand the routine of the “ordinary people” and those residents who repopulated the abandoned buildings.
And what did they eat? Tasty stews or chewy meats. Depends. Wealthy families treated their palates to fish, poultry, sheep and roasted young goats. Everything was well watered with Syrian wine that arrived to the town in amphorae.
If we talk about the most humble inhabitants of Noheda, the slaves and field workers, things were different. They fed on ox, goats and sheep that had once been used for farming or obtaining wool and were now too old for the tasks. Their meat was aged and required longer cooking than the young cattle reserved for landowners. To drink, in his case he passed on Syrian wine to the fool.
More than archeology. Noheda’s study is interesting for another reason. In addition to revealing the culinary secrets of those who lived in the Roman town between the 4th and 5th centuries AD, it is offering experts valuable information that aspires to move from museums and laboratories… to the table.
After all, not only archaeologists collaborate at the site. The investigation is being carried out with the help of butchers, doctors, dentists… and Jesús Segura, chef at the head of a Michelin-starred restaurant. The objective: that the secrets of the villa serve as a basis to dishes inspired by Roman Hispania.
Images | Wikipedia 1 and 2 and Government of Castilla-La Mancha (Flickr)
Via | The Country
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