Eating and Drinking along Ancient Roads and Rivers: Study Opportunities, Archaeological Sources and Open Issues about Diet Habits

Eating and Drinking Along Ancient Roads and Rivers presents a diverse collection of research articles exploring food production, consumption, and cultural significance from the Roman to early Medieval period. Through archaeological, archaeometric, and historical approaches, the contributions examine how diet shaped identity, trade, and social structures across different regions.

Topics covered include:

- Material culture of food consumption, such as pottery, amphorae, and bronze vessels

- Gastronomic practices, including Roman dining traditions and food preparation

- Scientific analyses, such as stable isotope studies and dietary reconstructions

- Food-related customs and beliefs, including funerary practices and religious influences

- Social and economic aspects, such as trade networks, mobility, and food distribution

The articles provide insights into ancient dietary habits, offering a broad perspective on how food influenced daily life, health, and cultural interactions along roads and rivers.

Ivana Ozanic Roguljic is an archaeologist specialising in the classical period, with a particular focus on instrumentum domesticum, the history of food, remote sensing and communications. She works on The Database of Antique Archaeological Sites of the Republic of Croatia. She is the Principal Investigator of the project 'Life on the Roman Road - Communications, Trade and Identities on Roman Roads in Croatia from 1st to 8th century (HRZZ)', and was a partner on the Interreg project, Living Danube Limes.

Zeljka Bedic works as a Research Associate in the Centre for Applied Bioanthropology at the Institute for Anthropological Research in Zagreb. Her main areas of research cover bioarchaeology, paleopathology, trauma analysis, paleodontology and contagious diseases in archaeological populations and she is a member of several scientific organisations relating to these fields. Her research output includes, among others, scientific papers, book chapters and a school textbook.

Angelina Raičkovic Savic is principally focused on the project 'Viminacium, Roman city and Legionary Fort'. Her interests relate primarily to Roman pottery and the use of scientific techniques for the analysis of materials. She is involved in several international projects, including 'ARCHEST - Developing archaeological audiences along the Roman route Aquileia-Emona-Sirmium-Viminacium' and 'Life on the Roman Road'. She is involved in various initiatives to bring archaeological research to children and the general public.