Ancient Art Where You Yeast Expect it: Reflections of Modern Dough Life in Antiquity
Map of the Mediterranean Sea. Image Credit: Wikipedia Commons, 1982. Central Intelligence Agency. Mediterranean relief.
Ancient Mediterranean Bread Stamps, Not Just a Pretty Face
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For ancient Mediterranean cultures, bread was more than a staple food. It was present in most everyday activities. Bread was part of religious sacrifice and was used as a utensil during meals. From young and old, rich and poor, everyone used bread.
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After grains were milled into flour, mixed into a dough, kneaded, and fermented, bread dough was stamped and baked. Bread stamps imprint a design, image, message, or name into the dough. This was done for decoration, to convey information, or signal ownership.
Bread Stamping in the Ancient World
By stamping bread, bakers and other manufacturers were putting their logo on an item to be sold to the public. This allowed the government to enforce regulations on the weight and quality of the bread. Bread stamping appeared in Rome in about 171 BCE, in Greece as far back as 600 BCE, and in Egypt in 1500 BCE.
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Bread stamps could be made from stone, ceramic, or metal. Bread stamps were shaped and decorated, some with lettering, some without. Through the introduction of Catholicism, the use of bread stamps was adopted in festivals and banquets, later we see bread stamps used to decorate the Eucharist. ​
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Classical societies were not that different from modern everyday life. Bread stamps represent everyday activities in Ancient Mediterranean life, they are mundane objects that are often overlooked. Bread stamps reflect modern life through religious symbols, marketing wear, and charity. The following pages explore bread stamps and how they are reflected in modern-day society.
Example of Roman bread, unstamped, preserved in Pompeii. Image Credit: Jebulon. 2015. “Ancient Roman bread Pompeii Museum Boscoreale.” Wikimedia Commons.
Curated by Emeline Russell ‘25
Based on research completed for an Honors Thesis titled “Ancient Civilizations May have Fallen, but Bread Stamps are on the Rise! Bread and Bread Stamps in Antiquity.”
With thanks to:
Logan Museum of Anthropology - Nikita Werner, Curator of Exhibits & Programs, for helping me through the creation of this online exhibit; Nicolette Meister, Director; Hailey Lorenzen, Center for Collections Care Postgraduate Fellow
Beloit College - Dr. Shannon Fie for all your advice and assistance in writing this thesis, reaching out to museums, and overall collecting data; Dr. Lisl Walsh for all your advice when writing this thesis and your assistance in translating Latin and Ancient Greek passages​.​
Milwaukee Public Museum - Dawn Scher Thomae, Curator of Collections in Anthropology
Field Museum of Chicago