Let's Talk About Archaeology
RECIPE OF THE WEEK: A Ukrainian Spin On Plov
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As some of you may know, I was pursuing a PhD in Classical Archaeology and Ancient History at the University of Texas at Austin. My undergraduate degrees were from The Ohio State University where I majored in Ancient History and Classics with two minors, one in Art History and another in Anthropology. One of my favorite aspects of my undergraduate degrees was doing active fieldwork on an archaeological site.
I spent the majority of my summer back in 2008 excavating the archaeological site of Isthmia (Ἴσθμια) in Greece. Isthmia was a part of the ancient city-state of Corinth, and was the location of the Sanctuary of Poseidon. It connected central Greece (Athens) to the Peloponnese. Isthmia is about an hour drive from Athens.
During the dig we were actually staying in Ancient Corinth—an archaeological site that often gets overlooked by tourists but it absolutely deserves more visitors. But I digress. Today this part of Greece is best known for its impressive human-made canal that cuts through the Isthmus of Corinth connecting the Gulf of Corinth (Ionian Sea) with the Saronic Gulf (Aegean Sea). And yes, you absolutely can bungee jump into the canal, it’s a 70 meter drop or so, and no, I did not jump—I did, however, jump off a cliff into the beautiful Aegean sea. For those who don’t want to jump off anything, there are tons of beautiful places to hike. My favorite hike is from Ancient Corinth to Acrocorinth. It’s about a 4 mile hike that’s breathtakingly beautiful.
This is the hike—from the Temple of Apollo in Ancient Corinth to Acrocrointh at the very top of that hill!
That particular season we focused on excavating parts of the Roman Bath complex as well as doing lots of cleaning and cataloging of the excavated artifacts. We even found a Roman coin in one of the trenches. The Roman Bath was actually built on top of an existing Greek structure that had a pool. Our site director, Dr. Timothy Gregory, believes that the Greek building was also a bathing complex most likely used by athletes during the Isthmian Games. The Greek building dates to the 4th century (around 360 B.C.E). One of the coolest aspects of this site is that it’s the only ancient Greek pool to have been discovered with a functioning fill and drainage system. The Greek pool was astonishingly discovered underneath the Roman mosaic floor when the mosaic was undergoing restoration and had to be temporarily moved. If you visit the site today, you can see the stunning monochrome Roman mosaic that has been placed back over the filled Greek pool.
In honor of my love for all things archaeology and history, I’m starting a new reoccurring section of the newsletter called the Archaeology Corner. I’m excited to share my favorite archaeological sites, historically significant monuments, favorite architecture, cultural centers, and museums.
THE ARCHAEOLOGY CORNER
Roman Ruins in Barcelona
Yes, you absolutely can find Roman ruins in Barcelona, especially in the Gothic Quarter or Barri Gòtic. Barcelona was actually a Roman colony! The Romans called it Julia Augusta Faventia Paterna Bàrcino or just Bàrcino. In the 1st century A.D. the colony constructed a defensive wall around the settlement, a common feature of Roman colonies.
You can find remains of a Roman temple, walls, baths, a Roman harbor, laundry facility, winery, a garum (Roman fish sauce/paste) factory and much more all throughout the old city center. Going archaeology site hopping is super fun, affordable, and kid friendly. It feels as if you are on a scavenger hunt or following a treasure map, finding one piece of treasure after another. I found this really helpful pin drop google map of all the locations where you can find the remains of the Roman walls along with some of the hidden Roman ruins. For a much more comprehensive list, you can check out the Barcelona Archaeological Map that has more than 3,000 archaeological sites identified in the city. Some of these are active archaeological sites with ongoing excavations.
Fun food fact: Bàrcino was one of the biggest producers of garum (fish sauce/paste) in the Roman Empire. Rome’s demand for garum was an important factor in Bàrcino’s quick growth.
Must Visit Archaeological Site in Barcelona:
Museu d’Història de Barcelona (MUHBA)
This is a nonnegotiable. I like to think of the History Museum of Barcelona as a hidden gem—partially because it is literally hidden underground. The museum’s vast underground ruins lie right underneath Plaça del Rei, and it’s about 4000 m2 of archaeological remains!
So many tourists have no idea there is a literal Roman city under their feet. The museum is free the first Sunday of every month. The one downside to the free day is that this is the only time the museum ever gets busy. If you don’t like crowds, go any other day, the experience is absolutely worth the admission fee. This way you can take as long as you want walking through the Roman streets.
Pro Tip: You can find a great little bookshop and gift shop, Librería La Central del MUHBA in the museum. It’s one of my favorite places to buy souvenirs and books. You can find La Central bookstores all over Barcelona but each one has its own feel. This one has a great selection of books in English across a variety of humanities fields. I bought one of my favorite history books on the history of food markets there. Don’t forget to visit the gift shop, I’m serious!
UKRAINE IN THE NEWS:
Here is some uplifting news from Ukraine.
20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL won an Oscar for Best Documentary! The film is made by Mstyslav Chernov. Mstyslav is a Ukrainian war correspondent, videographer, photographer, and photojournalist. You can watch the movie on PBS, on Amazon with a PBS subscription (you can do the 7-day free trial), YouTube for $1.99, or Vudu for $2.99. You can watch the acceptance speech here.
1.4 million-year-old tools discovered at the archaeological site of Korolevo in western Ukraine—oldest known tools to be discovered in Europe. Scholars believe the tools were made by Homo Erectus—the only known ancient human to have lived outside Africa at this time. These findings suggest that ancient humans came into Europe from the east and gradually spread westward. Read the full story here.
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Ukrainian Chicken & Rice Pilaf / Plov / Плов
Plov is a type of steamed and layered pilaf cooked all over Central Asia. Plov is considered the national dish of Uzbekistan, but there are thousands of variations of plov all throughout Central Asia. The dish was popularized in the 50s—spreading to all 15 republics of the Soviet Union, certainly including Ukraine.
My mom’s version, along with many other Ukrainians, uses chicken instead of the traditional lamb, mutton, or beef. My mom also adds a lot more shredded carrots to this version to enhance the sweetness of the dish. Unlike the layered traditional version here all the ingredients are fully incorporated. Another difference is that traditionally plov is prepared outside in a thick metal cauldron-like vessel called kazan. This recipe calls for a dutch oven or you can use a 3.5 quart saute pan with a lid.
I want to be completely transparent in that this version bears little resemblance to the traditional version, but it is delicious and cherished in our household—and probably the only one my husband knows of yet, also being one of his favorite dishes.
I vividly remember my mom making plov because she would wrap the giant pot in layers and layers of towels and coats to seal in the heat and steam. Whenever we ate plov, it was like unwrapping a Christmas present! In our family we always serve plov with a side of fermented cucumbers or sour pickles to balance out the sweetness of those carrots. Enjoy!
Note*: My mom would always use parts from a whole chicken. I modified the recipe to be bone-free and a little less laborious.
Ingredients:
1.5 cups basmati rice
1.5 lbs boneless chicken thighs cut into 1 inch pieces (600 grams)
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups finely diced onion or 1 large onion (240 grams)
3.5 packed cups peeled, grated carrot or 4 large carrots (375 grams)
3 bay leaves
3 cups chicken stock (can substitute with water just make sure to adjust the seasoning)
salt to taste
To Serve:
Fermented cucumbers or sour pickles
Method 1:
Rinse and place the rice in a pot or bowl, pour in boiling water to cover the rice fully, place the lid and leave the rice to soak for 30 minutes, drain the rice using a fine mesh sieve and set aside.
While the rice is soaking, in a 6 quart Dutch oven, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Cook the chicken in batches allowing for browning. Season with salt and pepper, cook the chicken until lightly browned about
In the same pan you browned the chicken, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat and cook the onion, stirring occasionally, until soft. Add the carrot and cook until the carrots are tender, about 10 minutes.
Once the carrot is tender add back the chicken, bay leaves, and rice to the pot. Stir and saute briefly, add a little more oil to coat the rice if necessary.
Now pour 3 cups of chicken stock into the pot or just enough to cover the rice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 17 to 20 minutes.
Turn off heat, cover the pot with kitchen towels to seal in the heat and leave on the stove for another 30 minutes to an hour. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Remove the bay leaves, fluff the rice, and serve with a side of lacto-fermented cucumbers or pickles.
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This is an outstanding newsletter field within site and information. You top it all off with an outstanding recipe with history behind it as well. I am making it a point to watch the documentary. Thank you for all this information.