ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø

Did humans evolve as meat-eaters, vegetarians, or something in between? How did we come to rely on an agricultural diet when we’ve only been farmers for 3% of human history? Were ancient empires built on beer? Dr. Robyn Cutright will discuss what archaeology tells us about the evolution of the human diet and the role of cooks, farmers, and breweries in the human story.  Get your hands dirty (and your taste buds ready!) as you experience a variety of meat, tubers, corn, beer, and the cooking strategies that shaped our human diet.

This includes hands-on experience and tasting in each session. This course series is offered in-person, only. 

Tiered Ticket Pricing

• Adults (including alumni): $15 per content hour
  • Total package for 3 sessions =$45
• Students (ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø and individuals age <19) = $7 per content hour
  • Total package for 4 sessions =$21

-    Number of participants will be capped at 30

Speaker Biography

Dr. Robyn Cutright –  Dr. Cutright is ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø’s W. George Matton Professor of Anthropology and an archeologist with a research focus on everyday life on the north coast of Peru. Her research at the site of Ventanillas studied rural household life in the multiethnic borderlands of the middle Jequetepeque Valley, at the edges of the coastal Lambayeque and Chimu states. Dr. Cutright’s current research in the Chira Valley explores local Tallan experiences of Lambayeque and Chimu expansive strategies and political economies. In addition to her three book publications, Robyn received ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø’s Presidential Award of excellence in 2021 and says a favorite part of teaching at ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø is being able to work with engaged students to learn new things, both in traditional class formats and in hands-on activities in and out of the classroom. For more information on her and her published works, visit her !

Class Session Description

The True Paleodiet: How Food Shaped Human Evolution 
October 27, 5:15-6:15pm

Proponents of the Paleo Diet suggest that it’s healthiest to eat only the foods that were available to our ancient ancestors during the Paleolithic era, about 2.5 million to 10,000 years ago. This often means minimizing foods only available through farming, such as dairy and wheat, and focusing on meat. But how important was meat in the diet of human ancestors millions of years ago? Did we evolve as hunters or scavengers, or have we underestimated the importance of grandmothers gathering plants for their grandchildren? Explore this fascinating topic of the paleodiet, evolving theories, and how meat, tubers, and cooking all came together to form the human diet. 

Farming Ingenuity and the Domestication of Corn
November 3, 5:15-6:15pm

Humans just started farming 10,000 years ago – a fraction of the time we have been on this planet. In a relatively short amount of time, farming has become so central that it’s hard to imagine how we lived without it. This ingenuity and innovation sprung up across the globe, independently but at around the same time, in various hubs. Along with Kentucky and Tennessee, Mexico was an independent center for domestication of plants, including corn. It took thousands of years for humans to evolve corn from its grass-like ancestor to what we know  today, and as corn became dependent on us we became dependent on it. Corn’s role in ancient societies in the Americas was the result not just of the ingenuity of farmers who selected for the plants that worked best for them, but is also thanks to innovative cooks who invented a way to make corn much more nutritious and delicious. Join Dr. Cutright for hands-on experience to share the evolution of corn and cooking.

Beer, Feasts, and Ancient Empires
November 10, 5:15-6:15pm

Societies around the world create fermented beverages to enjoy at parties, ceremonies, and in everyday life. Archaeologists have suggest that in addition to being fun to drink, alcohol helped to share the world we live in today. Some theories suggest that the desire to drink beer and other fermented liquids was the catalyst to domestication and agriculture. Being able to serve beer at feasts allowed some families to outcompete others using the language of generosity. Other theories place beer at the heart of imperial politics. The Inca Empire quite literally ran on beer in the years before the Spanish invaded South America. Dr. Cutright will discuss how archaeologists hold beer accountable for these important historical dynamics!