Bread was the staple of the ancient Mediterranean diet. It was present in the meals of emperors and on the tables of the poorest households. In many instances, a loaf of bread probably constituted an entire meal. As such, bread was both something that unified society and a milieu through which...

1. Introduction: Chaînes Opératoires and the Making of Roman Bread -- 2. Baking as Cultural Heritage: Regional Variation in the Roman Production of Bread -- 3. Modes of Production: Bakeries as Factories and Workshops -- 4 Experiencing the Bakery: Training, Status, Labor, and Exploitation -- 5....

The establishment of Christianity in the late- and post-Roman world caused an economic as well as a religious revolution, but, while a great deal of attention has been paid to the religious developments of the period, the impact of the establishment of the Church on the economy has attracted...