Neither Monotonous nor Meager: A Multidisciplinary Analysis of Food Consumption in Delft

Reconstruction of past diets poses significant challenges for historians and archaeologists alike. Archival records from Delft’s orphanage between 1650 and 1725 provide data regarding the number and weight of plant and animal food items purchased. Cesspit evidence offers complementary insights into diet based on the edible plant and animal species present in the fill as well as some insights into the health of the inhabitants based on parasite presence. Both disciplines have limitations when reconstructing past food consumption practices of the Delft orphans. Yet the individual biases can be mitigated when the results are compared and combined. The purchase lists of the orphanage show the amounts of (staple) foods purchased and, by extension, their relative importance in the diet. At the same time, bioarcheological research shows a variety of consumed plants that are not specifically listed in the archival sources. Zooarchaeological research provides insights into the age of the animals listed as being purchased for food by the orphanage and the parts of the animals used. The intersection of historical and bioarcheological evidence reveals that the diet of orphanage inhabitants was neither monotonous nor meager, though evidence of parasitic infections suggests some health challenges.