Culinary Technology in the Ancient Near EastNaturally, one of the first culinary technologies people figured out was how to brew beer.Examination of culinary technologies in the Ancient Near East, from the Neolithic to the Early Roman period, shows how food preparation was central to social, political, and religious life. Innovations ranging from bread and beer production to hearths, ovens, stoves, and milling systems highlight advanced knowledge of chemistry, thermodynamics, and materials science. Far from primitive, these practices reveal sophisticated engineering and cultural traditions that shaped modern cooking. Cooking emerges as both a scientific achievement and a source of joy, creativity, and communal identity.
See also Culinary Technology of the Ancient Near East: From the Neolithic to the Early Roman Period (Routledge, 2025).
By Jill L. Baker
Independent Researcher of Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology
September 2025
Cross-file under New Book.
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