Upper Canada foodways : an analysis of faunal remains recovered from urban and rural domestic sites in Toronto (York), AD 1794-1900
This thesis investigates foodways in 19th-century Toronto, providing a critical examination of the relationship between food and identity in an emerging city and new province. Specifically, it asks if zooarchaeological remains can provide a nuanced understanding of how food was used in the expression of identities by early Ontarians. Faunal analyses were conducted for a number of urban and rural domestic assemblages located in and around the city and these were compared to published and unpublished faunal reports from across Upper Canada. Historical documents were examined for information on foodways and then contrasted with the zooarchaeological data. The discussion describes how various sources of meat were incorporated into 19th-century Toronto and Upper Canada foodways. Previous scholarship suggests pork was highly favoured by Upper Canadians and featured in most meals. It was also generally understood that the provinceâs earliest settlers needed to rely on wild sources of meat upon initial settlement and that British immigrants simply adapted their own foodways to local conditions. The results presented in this research challenges all of these assumptions and warns against the use of such homogenizing
Tourigny, Eric Daniel
Upper Canada foodways : an analysis of faunal remains recovered from urban and rural domestic sites in Toronto (York), AD 1794-1900. This thesis investigates foodways in 19th-century Toronto, providing a critical examination of the relationship between food and identity in an emerging city and new province. Specifically, it asks if zooarchaeological remains can provide a nuanced understanding of how food was used in the expression of identities by early Ontarians. Faunal analyses were conducted for a number of urban and rural domestic assemblages located in and around the city and these were compared to published and unpublished faunal reports from across Upper Canada. Historical documents were examined for information on foodways and then contrasted with the zooarchaeological data. The discussion describes how various sources of meat were incorporated into 19th-century Toronto and Upper Canada foodways. Previous scholarship suggests pork was highly favoured by Upper Canadians and featured in most meals. It was also generally understood that the provinceâs earliest settlers needed to rely on wild sources of meat upon initial settlement and that British immigrants simply adapted their own foodways to local conditions. The results presented in this research challenges all of these assumptions and warns against the use of such homogenizing
upper canada foodways analysis_faunal remains recovered urban_rural domestic_site york investigate foodways th_century provide_critical examination relationship food identity emerge city new province specifically ask zooarchaeological remains provide_nuanced food use expression_identity early faunal_analysis conduct number urban_rural domestic_assemblage locate around city compare_publish unpublished faunal report across upper canada historical_document examine information foodways contrast zooarchaeological_data discussion describe various source meat incorporate th_century upper canada foodways previous_scholarship suggest highly upper feature meal also generally understood province early settler need rely wild source meat upon initial settlement british immigrant simply adapt foodways local_condition present challenge_assumption use