Flash Talk | The Karanis Cornucopia: Exploring the Plant Remains of the Kelsey Museum

It’s a good thing you brought your lunch, because in this Flash Talk, archaeobotanist Annette Hansen (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) will show the variety of plant foods that were available to the inhabitants of Greco-Roman Karanis. From wheat and barley to peach, hazelnut, and garlic, the archaeobotanical remains are preserved in excellent condition and attest to diverse diets at Karanis.

Beyond that, Annette will explore how different plant parts and markings may reflect crop processing for Karanis’ various foods and how its diverse weed flora reflects the ecology of arable fields. As a part of the Belgian Excellence of Science–funded AGROS project—“Agriculture, Diet and Nutrition in Greco-Roman Egypt. Reassessing Ancient Sustenance, Food Processing and (Mal)Nutrition”—Annette is conducting the first systematic archaeobotanical study of the plant remains of the Karanis collection at the Kelsey Museum, in close collaboration with the Kelsey’s own Laura Motta and with Frits Heinrich (Vrije Universiteit Brussel).

Kelsey Museum Flash Talks are 15-minute Zoom lectures by Kelsey curators, staff members, researchers, graduate students, and guests talking about their recent research or current projects. Each presentation is followed by 15 minutes of Q&A. Flash Talks are free and open to all visitors.

To register for this Flash Talk, fill out the form at https://forms.gle/4qXvC8ALTF7Yj8G26/ Zoom log-in information will be provided upon registration. Please sign up by 9:30 AM the day of the event to ensure you receive a confirmation email containing the access code.