Conquest and Cuisine: Communities' Experiences of 1066 in the Adur Valley

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Any form of foreign conquest or colonisation impacts the inhabitants of the land and has amajor role in shaping their identities. Irrespective of the magnitude of colonization, thecolonized/conquered population witnessed and experienced new technologies, ideas, beliefs,social structures, commerce, etc. This influx of new economic, social and political ideasdrastically changes the daily lives of the colonised population and eventually ends up shapingtheir identities. Similarly, a surge of changes followed England following the NormanConquest of 1066 in all facets of life that impacted the people's identities. Although there isample evidence from both historical and archaeological records concerning the series ofevents, they are predominantly from the perspective of the people in power and elites whileoverlooking the daily lives of people in the social stratum with some exceptions (Jervis 2013;McClain 2019; Skye 2001). Therefore, with growing interest in the dietary impact ofconquests and colonisation, and the dearth of knowledge of the consequences of the NormanConquest, this project aims to determine both, the intensity and range, of the impact of theNorman Conquest of 1066 on the communities of Adur Valley (Sussex, England) throughtheir culinary practices. This shall be achieved by instigating investigation strategies such asceramic analysis, both chemical and typological, and organic residue analysis under thesupervision of Dr. Lucy Cramp and Dr. Ben Jervis and with the help of James Sainsbury. Indoing so, we will be able to distinguish: how domestic life at the frontier was impacted bythis iconic event, if any new practices were adopted or if there was any resistance, and howthis varied between communities and social structures. This project will greatly contribute toour understanding of the Norman Conquest of England and especially its impact on the dailylives of the people while also offering comparative potential for wider studies of conquest,colonisation, and its influences on everyday life.