Archaeological Museum of Bologna

Museo Civico Archeologico
Via dell'Archiginnasio 2 - 40124 Bologna
Tel. 051.27.57.211

Direzione e Uffici
Via de' Musei 8 – 40124 Bologna
Tel. 051.27.57.211 - Fax 051.26.65.16
mca@comune.bologna.it

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Collections / Itineraries / Feeding in Ancient Egypt

Introduction

Cereals, vegetables, fruits, fish, various meats, dairy products, beer, wine, oil and more, are the basis of simple and varied diet of an ancient Egyptian, which can be considered to all effects a typical Mediterranean diet. The abundance of food gladdens the earthly life of every Egyptian, from the humblest peasant to the Pharaoh in person, provides a perspective of eternal life to the soul Ka of the dead one, it is essential element of the ritual offer to the divinities in the temple. This is demonstrated by the written sources, the archaeological finds, the epigraphic and figurative documentation, handing down us a rich patrimony of information that goes from the cultivation of the fields to the storage of the agricultural products, from the scenes of bird catching and fishing to the desiccation for salting or fumigation of the preys, from the preparation of food and drinks to the diversification of the places and the relative finalities of use. Even the objects kept in the Egyptian section of the Archaeological Museum of Bologna talk to us about food and drink, making us regret the lack of a treaty on ancient Egyptian culinary.

Exhibition rooms | Egyptian collection