Byzantine monastic diet, practices revealed at Deir ‘Ain ‘Abata

AMMAN — During his long and successful career, Greek archaeologist Konstantinos Politis studied the southern Ghor and the site Deir ‘Ain ‘Abata, on the southern tip of the Dead Sea.

 The site is known for the Byzantine monastic complex with a basilical church dedicated to St Lot, mentioned in the Bible, flanked by a large reservoir to the south and a refectory and pilgrim’s hotel to the north. 

The complex had agricultural terraces irrigated by water channels from the reservoir. The principle of monastic self-sufficiency was met at the site and remains of plants and animal bones were studied by researchers,

"Studies conducted on the plant remains and animal bones from the archaeological excavations provided the first scientific evidence regarding the dietary practices of monks and pilgrims, as well as the wider early Byzantine community in the Holy Land during the 5th to 7th centuries AD," Politis said.

The fact that meat consumption was high supports the theory that the monastery catered for pilgrims and the sick (this was evident in the human remains as well) since ascetic monks were normally vegetarian, Politis elaborated.

He added that these studies have shown that horses, donkeys, cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, roe and fallow deer, foxes, hares, domestic fowl, partridges, quails, stone curlews, rock/stock and palm-doves, lark vultures, parrot fish, groupers and some smaller freshwater fish, probably from the local spring, were consumed on the site. 

"The botanical finds identified include olives, dates, bitter vetch, grapes, apricots, lentils, barley, bread wheat and cucumbers and/or melons. These results revealed that the community living at Deir ‘Ain ‘Abata had a relatively rich diet of domestic and wild species of plants, animals and fish, some of which were imported, at considerable expense, from as far away as the Mediterranean and the Red Sea," Politis elaborated.

The plant remains at Deir ‘Ain ‘Abata can be grouped into two distinct categories: those containing mostly cereal and legume taxa crop items and those only containing fruits (mostly olives) at low rates. 

"Cereals are present in 50 per cent of the samples. Hulled barley, Hordeum sativum, is the numerically dominant cereal type. As well as being a highly productive and easily processed crop, barley is attractive because of its wide ecological tolerances," Politis said.

The archaeologist added that it can be cultivated on both heavy and light soils and can withstand drought and saline conditions, would have been beneficial in the harsh environment of the Ghor es-Safi. 

Of the wheats, free-threshing bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) is the most abundant. Characteristically this type of wheat has high yields and produces strong flour (resulting in good quality bread). The faba bean (Vicia faba) is numerically the most dominant legume crop. 

"Fruits occur in 90 per cent of samples. As olives are present in this 90 per cent there is some basis for interpreting the economic significance of the taxon. The olive pits are mostly whole and may therefore represent discard from fruit consumption rather than oil production," he said. 

Remains of dates are present in 50 per cent of samples and provide evidence of fruit consumption and its wood can be used for construction, leaf bases make good fuel and the fibres can be used to produce rope," Politis pointed out, adding that date trees can withstand saline soil conditions, and in fact, they thrive when irrigated with brackish water.

According to historical sources, Christian monks should have been vegetarian, but on a pilgrimage site such as the Monastery of St Lot, visitors would leave evidence whether or not they, too, were vegetarian. 

The overwhelming evidence provided by the faunal remains is that they were not, Politis explained, adding that large quantities of meat from wild and domesticated species, fish, poultry and eggs were regularly eaten. 

"The reliance on cereal crops at the site can be accessed from the evidence provided by the grain itself: bread wheat, emmer wheat and hulled barley. In addition, there is much crop-processing waste, as well as bread-ovens and fuel on the site," the archaeologist said. 

"The cereal part of the diet was supplemented by beans, peas and lentils. It is problematic, however, to establish precisely which refuse represents food eaten by the monks and which reflects the pilgrims’ diet," Politis added.

 It is unlikely that the pilgrims would bring large quantities of perishable meat, fish and dairy products with them, but dried foods might have provided sustenance on the journey. 

"It is possible that the monks might have remained on a vegetarian diet but arranged to provide a wider range of food for the visitors," Politis concluded.