ABSTRACT
Food plants formed the bulk of Roman diet as they did and do for the majority of populations across the world. This chapter explores the plant evidence in archaeology, the methods employed in their study, and the limitations and the possibilities of this line of inquiry, with the aim of shedding light on the great potential of archaeobotanical research with a particular focus on the Mediterranean. It discusses selected studies to highlight the potential of archaeobotany in the investigation of Roman diet. Archaeological procedures for the collection and study of archaeobotanical material pose their own biases but careful planning allows a level of control that can minimise them. In-depth understanding of the nature of the evidence and of the formation processes that dictate the presence and absence of plant remains in archaeological contexts, and the employment of robust methodologies for their study can help minimise or take into account several of the weaknesses of the discipline.
