This is the second volume of a series from the Department of Archaeology at Nottingham University which organises a postgraduate conference on this particular theme in the early summer of each year. Save for the keynote essay by the archaeologist of Roman Britain, Hilary Cool, all the authors are postgraduate researchers. While the importance of nutrition for survival has long been recognised, increasing emphasis is being put on the cultural significance of the production, distribution and consumption of foodstuffs throughout all archaeological periods. These papers reflect an interest in the sorts of foods consumed, the ways in which they were consumed, and the consequences of their consumption. Contributions range widely over Europe and Asia and cover several forms of historical or archaeological investigation based on documentary and visual records as well as excavation and chemical analysis. In like manner, a number of different historical and prehistorical eras are under discussion.