Publication details
Kuchyňské provozy na hradech Rokštejn a Brtnice
| Title in English | Kitchens in the Castles of Rokštejn and Brtnice |
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| Authors | |
| Year of publication | 2023 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | The identification of areas associated with food preparation within the castle context reflects the routines of everyday life comparable to those in other types of medieval settlements, as well as the operational and energy demands tied to both human and material resources. The size of the household, or the social specialization of the community, significantly determined the functional units related to food production. Nevertheless, food preparation in castles underwent dynamic changes depending on the rise or decline of the castle’s role as a central or subsidiary seat, and on the living requirements over the course of the 13th–16th centuries. This development within the castle environment can undoubtedly be traced not only through architecturally preserved kitchens and bakeries, but above all through waste materials, which reveal the very organization of food-related activities—from the acquisition of raw materials, storage, meal preparation, and serving at the table, to the cleaning up after dining. Capturing this variability of daily life—whether in the residence of a colonizing noble family, in the margravial household at a secondary residence, or within the seat of a prominent aristocratic lineage—is made possible through the results of research at Rokštejn Castle and, potentially, at Brtnice château. The analysis of kitchen practices is further enhanced by experimental archaeology focused on food preparation and transportation. |
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