- basalt
- an igneous rock frequently used for early grinding tools in the Near East.
- biocultural approach
- a perspective that looks at both the cultural and biological roles that food plays in human lives.
- cannibalism
- the act of eating an individual of one’s own species.
- cuisine
- the cultural traditions of cooking and preparing food.
- cultural heritage
- traditions passed down through generations that serve as primary characteristics of how a group defines and identifies itself to other cultural groups.
- cultural identity
- the ways in which people define and distinguish themselves culturally from other groups.
- feasts
- elaborate meals of symbolically meaningful foods shared among large groups of people.
- food
- a substance eaten for the purpose of nutrition and/or social status.
- food deserts
- areas that lack access to nutritious and affordable foods.
- food oases
- areas that have high access to supermarkets and fresh foods.
- food prescriptions
- foods that one should eat and are considered culturally appropriate.
- food proscriptions
- foods that are prohibited and are not considered proper as food; also called food taboos.
- foodways
- the collection, production, and consumption of food; how culinary traditions shape cultural identity.
- genetically modified plants
- plants whose DNA has been altered through human intervention.
- heirloom seeds
- seeds that are not genetically modified, are open pollinated, and have been in existence for at least 50 years.
- intercropping
- planting different seeds mixed together instead of in separate rows.
- locavore
- a person who eats locally produced foods and knows their origins.
- residue studies
- chemical analyses of small amounts of material left intact on surfaces in order to identify the substance.
- shell midden
- a large collection of discarded shells, either food remains or waste piles from other activities.