Archaeology Society of Staten IslandFebruary 2013: James Fritzsimmons, ‘Wine, Cheese, And Travel’
February 10
James Fritzsimmons Wine, Cheese And Travel
The Old World Neolithic Revolution transformed the lives of all affected, including through unintended side effects. Raising plants and animals for food led to the need to store these resources. Being permanently in the same location led people to adapt to the water of only that area, making travel painful. Permanent settlements allowed for the discovery of patterns in vegetation life cycles that had never been noticed. The solution to these challenges came through the so-called Secondary Products Revolution. The development of wine and beer, the elaboration of food preservation methods, and the utilization of both advances to allow people to travel to distant lands. We will look both at the ways these adaptations influenced their discoverers and the later rise of Old World states, as parallel developments in the New World.
News from the Archaeological Institute of America
- Part of an 18th-Century Water System Found in Scotland April 26, 2024EAST RENFREWSHIRE, SCOTLAND—According to a report in The Glasgow Times, a circular structure made of blonde sandstone was uncovered during a construction project in Barrhead, which is located in west-central Scotland. The eighteenth-century structure is thought to have been part of a gravitational system to provide fresh water to the town. Local residents are advocating […]
- Islamic-Era Sword Identified in Spain April 26, 2024VALENCIA, SPAIN—Newsweek reports that a sword discovered in 1994 in a historic section of Valencia has been dated to the tenth century A.D. by the Archaeology Service of the Valencia City Council (SIAM) through analysis of the sediment layers at the site. Islamic rule of the Iberian Peninsula began in A.D. 711 and ended in […]
- Gweagal Spears Repatriated to Australia April 26, 2024CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND—The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the Gweagal spears, a collection made up of one hunting spear and three fishing spears that were taken from the Gweagal people of Kamay in 1770 by James Cook, have been repatriated to the La Perouse Aboriginal Community. Cook, a British naval lieutenant at the time, traveled to […]