Pompeii food and drink project

Abstract

The goal of the Pompeii Food and Drink Project is to conduct a noninvasive comprehensive surface investigation of all structures in the Roman city of Pompeii and select neighboring structures to discover any overall patterns of daily life associated with food and drink. To accomplish this goal, we established four research objectives: 1. To identify rooms, spaces, and features associated with all aspects of food and drink, including production, processing, storage, preparation, selling, and consumption. 2. To document the rooms, spaces, and features of structures 3. To organize and preserve the above information in a database and in print forms, and 4. To employ a geographic information system (GIS) to disclose patterns of living associated with food and drink in Pompeii and outside the city walls. The project is not associated with a university. Rather the Project Researchers, staff members, and team member/volunteers plan, conduct, and pay for the project. This chapter details: planning and preparation in the USA; acquiring Italian authorizations; recruitment of team members; finances and budgeting; accommodations in modern Pompei; the on-site research and documentation experience; post field work; and a summary of what we have learned after ten years of research in ancient Pompeii.