Sicily was under Islamic rule 2,000 years ago, but some natives feasted on pork even though it was prohibited by religious laws, a new study reveals.
A team of international researchers analyzed food residue on 134 medieval cooking pots used between 900 AD and 1200 AD, revealing the ancient Sicilian palette depended largely on where people lived and what food was available locally.
Approximately 83 fragments came from Palermo and 51 came from the site in of Casale San Pietro, located on the plain outside of the town of Castronovo di Sicilia in the center of Sicily within the province of Palermo.
Those living in Palermo, the center of the ancient Muslim world, ate foods that mirrored their Islamic conquers, such as beef, mutton and a variety of vegetables.
Meanwhile residents outside of the city ate not only the forbidden meat of pigs, but also dairy products and grapes.
'Analysis of residues preserved in pottery has, for the first time, revealed important insight into cuisine in medieval Islamic Sicily,' lead author Jasmine Lundy of the University of York and colleagues shared in a statement.
'We have identified a diverse range of products processed in cooking wares, as well as regional differences in the use of ceramics such as for the processing of dairy and grapevine products.'
An analysis on residue taken from 2,000-year-old cooking pots found in Sicily shows those living in rural areas ate the forbidden meat pork, along with dairy products and grapes
The Islamic Kingdom ruled the island of Sicily from 831 to 1091, with Palermo being a major cultural and political center of the Muslim world.
Now, a researchers of the study, published in PLOS One, has embarked on a quest to learn how ancient Sicilians' lives were impacted while under Islamic rule.
The Islamic Kingdom ruled the island of Sicily from 831 to 1091, with Palermo being a major cultural and political center of the Muslim world.
The ancient cooking pottery were found in the city of Palermo and the rural town of Casale San Pietro.
The cooking pottery was used from 900 AD through 1200AD and found in the city of Palermo and the rural town of Casale San Pietro. Those living in Palermo, the center of the ancient Muslim world, ate foods that mirrored their Islamic conquers, such as beef and sheep and a variety of vegetables
Despite the fact that
