Paleoethnobotany and Ancient Alcohol Production: A Mini-Review

  • Matthew E Biwer Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-3210
  • Amber M VanDerwarker Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-3210
Keywords: Paleoethnobotany, Archaeology, Fermented Beverages

Abstract

The production and consumption of alcoholic beverages in the past is an important consideration when addressing issues involving ancient food. However, successfully demonstrating that alcoholic beverages were produced in prehistoric contexts is problematic.  As a result, archaeobotanists have developed a multi-scalar approach, incorporating multiple lines of evidence, to argue for the production of fermented beverages in the past.

Author Biographies

Matthew E Biwer, Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-3210

Matthew E Biwer is a Ph.D student in the Department of Anthropology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. His work focuses on paleoethnobotany, culture contact, and foodways in the Peruvian Andes.

Amber M VanDerwarker, Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-3210

Amber M. VanDerwarker is an Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She has been involved in field and laboratory work in Mexico, Eastern North America, and Peru.


 

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Published
2015-05-05
How to Cite
Biwer, M. E., & VanDerwarker, A. M. (2015). Paleoethnobotany and Ancient Alcohol Production: A Mini-Review. Ethnobiology Letters, 6(1), 28-31. https://doi.org/10.14237/ebl.6.1.2015.378
Section
Mini-Reviews