Laura Banducci (Carleton University) - Escaping the Form and Function Trap: Quotidian Objects and Why the Details Matter

Dr. Laura Banducci, Assistant Professor in Greek and Roman Studies at Carleton University, is an archaeologist, with a particular interest in the Roman republican period and in the Etruscan civilization of central Italy. Her research focuses on three principal areas: diet and dining practices, collectively referred to as ‘foodways’; how artefacts were made, used, re-purposed and discarded; and entertainment and leisure culture. Her research is grounded in the idea that an individual’s daily behavior, as reflected by the material record, can provide important insights into large-scale societal changes in the ancient world. She is currently completing a book that investigates the foodways of several sites in central Italy.