Research & Education
The Mediterranean Diet Archaeology Project
Enrico Greco Co-P.I.
Research Associate, Institute for the Advanced Study of Culture and the Enviroment
The Mediterranean Diet Archaeology Project (MEDIAP) offers a comprehensive exploration of how diet, nutrition, medicine, and health were interconnected to shape ancient Mediterranean societies. By integrating cutting-edge scientific techniques with written, visual, archaeological, and bioarchaeological evidence, the project reveals the profound links between food, living standards, disease, and medicine.
Research Highlights
Dietary Practices and Mobility The project investigates ancient diets using stable isotope analysis and biomolecular techniques, uncovering nutritional diversity and cultural influences. Isotopic evidence highlights the exchange of culinary practices and goods across the Mediterranean, reinforcing the region’s role as a cultural and economic crossroads.
Health and Diseases Poor diets and inadequate living standards often led to weakened immune systems, increasing vulnerability to diseases. Paleomicrobiological studies have identified pathogens which affected both military and civilian populations for centuries. These findings illustrate the cyclical relationship between malnutrition, poor health, and disease prevalence.
Ancient Medicine and Drugs The project highlights the use of natural substances for medicinal and ritual purposes. Medicinal remedies often addressed the effects of malnutrition and disease, with botanical extracts, fermented liquids, and oils serving as key therapeutic agents.
Cultural Significance of Food and Medicine Food and medicine were deeply embedded in the social and religious fabric of ancient societies. Healing was often a holistic process, combining physical remedies with spiritual and ritual practices. This interweaving of body, mind, and spirit underscores the interconnectedness of ancient approaches to health.
Interdisciplinary Approach
The project’s findings stem from an extensive study of diverse sources
Written and Visual Evidence Texts, inscriptions, and depictions provide critical insights into ancient food and medicinal practices.
Archaeological Evidence Artifacts such as pottery, tools, and architectural remains offer tangible clues about diet and health.
Bioarchaeological Evidence Analysis of human remains reveals patterns of nutrition, disease, and mobility, deepening our understanding of ancient lifeways.
Technological Innovations
To explore these interconnections, the Mediterranean Diet Archaeology Project employs advanced scientific methodologies to analyze organic residues in archaeological vessels and artifacts and reconstruct diet and mobility in ancient individuals.
Stable Isotope Analysis Reconstruction of diets and identification of geographic origins of individuals.
Spectroscopic Techniques (FTIR, NMR, GC-MS) Characterization of molecular structures in residues and artifacts.
Proteomics and Metabolomics Analysis of proteins and metabolites in ancient artifacts, shedding light on food and medicine preparation.
Ancient DNA (aDNA) Studies aDNA from human remains and environmental samples reveals dietary habits, pathogen evolution, and genetic adaptations. For instance, the identification of Bartonella quintana in dental pulp links health challenges to environmental and cultural factors.
The Cycle of Diet, Disease, and Medicine
The MEDIAP research underscores the interconnected cycle of diet, living standards, and health. Malnutrition weakens the immune system, reducing productivity and resilience, making populations more vulnerable to disease. This, in turn, necessitated the development of ancient medicinal practices and remedies to address both physical and social health challenges.
By examining the interconnectedness of diet, health, and medicine, the Mediterranean Diet Archaeology Project sheds light on how ancient societies adapted to environmental and social challenges. This research highlights the origins of the modern Mediterranean diet, the evolution of pharmacology, and the cultural and biological mechanisms of resilience. The findings not only deepen our understanding of ancient Mediterranean cultures but also provide valuable lessons for contemporary health, sustainability, and nutrition challenges.
Major Publications
1. D. Tanasi, E. Greco, V. Di Tullio, D. Capitani, D. Gullì, E. Ciliberto 2017, 1H-1H NMR 2D-TOCSY, ATR FT-IR and SEM-EDX for the identification of organic residues on Sicilian prehistoric pottery, Microchemical Journal 135, pp. 140–147.
2. D. Tanasi, E. Greco, R. Ebna Noor, S. Feola, V. Kumar, A. Crispino, I. Gelis 2018, 1H NMR, 1H-1H 2D TOCSY and GC-MS analyses for the identification of olive oil on Early Bronze Age pottery from Castelluccio (Noto, Italy), Analytical Methods 10, 2757, pp. 1-8.
3. E. Greco, O. El-Aguizy, M. Fouda Ali, S. Foti, V. Cunsolo, R. Salletti, E. Ciliberto 2018, Proteomic Analyses on an Ancient Egyptian Cheese and Biomolecular Evidence of Brucellosis, Analytical Chemistry 90.16, pp. 9673-9676.
4. M. Ba-Hoang-Anh, R. Barbieri, T. Chenal, D. Castex, R. Jonvel, D. Tanasi, P. Georges-Zimmerman, O. Dutour, M. Drancourt, G. Aboudharam 2020, Five millennia of Bartonella quintana bacteremia, PLoS ONE 15.11: e0239526, November 4, pp. 1-9.
5. D. Tanasi, E. Greco, F. Pisciotta, S. Hassam 2021, Chemical characterization of organic residues on Late Roman amphorae from shipwrecks off the coast of Marsala (Trapani, Italy), Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 40, pp. 1-7.
6. D. Tanasi, A. Cucina, V. Cunsolo, R. Saletti, A. Di Francesco, E. Greco, S. Foti 2021, Paleoproteomic profiling of organic residues on prehistoric pottery from Malta, in Amino Acids 53, pp. 295-312.
7. D. Tanasi, E. Greco 2023, Bigger Fish to Fry: Evidence (or Lack of) for Fish Consumption in Ancient Syracuse (Sicily), Open Archaeology 9.1, pp. 1-26.
8. D. Tanasi, R. H. Tykot, A. Vianello, J. Bethard, I. Gradante, S. Hassam, P. Trapani, G. T. Ricciardi, E. Greco 2023, Diet and Mobility in Late Antique Sicily Isotopic Data from the Catacombs of Santa Lucia, Siracusa (Italy), Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 50, pp. 1-16.
9. E. Greco, A.M. Gennaro, D. Piombino-Mascali, D. Costanzo, S. Accardo, S. Licen, P. Barbieri, S. Fornasaro, S. Semeraro, E. Marin, S. Signoretti, C. Gabriele, M. Gaspari 2023; Dental proteomic analyses and Raman spectroscopy for the estimation of the biological sex and age of human remains from the Greek cemetery of San Giorgio Extra, Reggio Calabria (Italy), Microchemical Journal 195, 109472.
10. E. Greco, B. Van Oppen, G. Samorini, D. Tanasi, R. H. Tykot 2024, A Bes Mug in Tampa, in B. Ban Oppen De Ruiter, R. S. Bianchi (eds), Under the Spell of Bes, Wallasey: Abercromby Press, pp. 105-116.
11. Greco, E., Rivier, L., Samorini, G., & D'Arienzo, A. (2024). Archaeology of psychotropic substances: The problem of analytical detection of ayahuasca, Archaeometry, 66(6), 1328–1342.
12. E. Greco, A.S. Gaetano, A.De Spirt, S. Semeraro, P. Piscitelli, A. Miani, S. Mecca, S. Karaj, R. Trombin, R. Hodgton, et al. AI-Enhanced Tools and Strategies for Airborne Disease Prevention in Cultural Heritage Sites, Epidemiologia 2024, 5, 267-274.
13. D. Tanasi, B. F. van Oppen de Ruiter, F. Florian, R. Pavlovic, L. M. Chiesa, I. Fochi, C. Stani, L. Vaccari, D. Chaput, G. Samorini, A. Pallavicini, A. S. Gaetano, S. Licen, P. Barbieri, E. Greco 2024, Multianalytical investigation reveals psychotropic substances in a ptolemaic Egyptian vase, Scientific Reports 14, 27891 (2024).
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