Breadcrumbs of Minoan Ritual: Food and Symbolism within the Socio-Religious Landscape of Bronze Age Crete

Recent archaeobotanical research has confirmed that plant foods played a role in ritual activity at cemetery, sanctuary and shrine sites of Bronze Age (Minoan) Crete.In addition to macrobotanical material (seeds, grains, fruits and nuts), pieces of prepared cereal products were also present, which were identified via scanning electron microscopy (SEM).By considering archaeological artefacts, iconographic images and textual records alongside the archaeobotanical evidence, this paper fully explores the use of plant foods for Minoan ritual purposes and their potential symbolic meaning in such contexts.The choice to utilize everyday plant food staples in ritual settings (i.e.commonly consumed fruit, nut, cereal and legume taxa), suggests an intersection of the sacred and the quotidian within Minoan society.