Food surplus and archaeological proxies: a case study from Roman Crete

This paper examines the use of archaeological proxies in the study of food surpluses in antiquity. Since foodstuffs rarely survive in the archaeological record, proxy evidence forms the foundation of our analyses. Scholars must be critical of these data to ensure that they provide the most accurate illustration of ancient trends possible. There are also questions that are rarely asked of proxy data, such as why the products for which they provide evidence were appealing and how they were consumed. To explore these issues, the export and consumption of wine from Roman Crete during the first-third century ad serves as a case study. This product is identified primarily through finds of ceramic containers known as amphorae. Proxy evidence, like amphorae, is indispensable, but scholars must ensure that they maximize the potential of these data while examining the role that food surplus played in social development.