In this special “Strat Chat” edition of The Archaeology Show, we dig into the layers of history behind “pi” and “pie” in honor of episode 314. First, we explore the origins of fruit pies, tracing their journey from ancient Egyptian tombs to medieval feasts and early American kitchens. Next, we unravel the story of the number pi (π), highlighting how ancient civilizations discovered and used this mathematical constant in everything from monuments to pottery. Finally, we bite into the history of meat pies, uncovering their role in ancient diets and how they evolved into a global comfort food. Join us for a flavorful journey through time, where archaeology and culinary history meet in every slice!

LinksSegment 1: The History and Origin of Fruit Pies

Pie: A Global History by Janet Clarkson

The Forme of Cury (14th-century English cookbook)

Oxford Companion to Food

British Museum: Archaeology of Ancient Egypt

York Archaeological Trust: Medieval Kitchens

Food in Medieval England by C.M. Woolgar

Smithsonian Magazine: The History of Pie in America

American Pie Council

A History of British Baking by Emma Kay

Museum of London Archaeology

Archaeobotanical Studies at the British Museum

Sugar and Sweetness by Sidney Mintz

Segment 2: The Discovery and Use of the Number Pi (π)

Rhind Mathematical Papyrus – British Museum

Yale Babylonian Collection

Archimedes’ “Measurement of a Circle”

Mathematical Treatise in Nine Sections (Zu Chongzhi)

Aryabhata and Aryabhatiya

A History of Pi by Petr Beckmann

The Symbol π and William Jones

Mathematics in Ancient Egypt by Annette Imhausen

The Archaeology of Measurement by Iain Morley

British Museum: Ancient Coins

Sacred Geometry by Robert Lawlor

Longitude by Dava Sobel

Pi Day – Official Site

Pi in Popular Culture – Life of Pi

Archaeological Discovery of Mathematical Tools

Segment 3: The History and Origin of Meat Pies

Food in Ancient Egypt by Delwen Samuel

Apicius: De Re Coquinaria

The Englishman’s Food by Drummond & Wilbraham

Food in Medieval England by C.M. Woolgar

Sing a Song of Sixpence – Nursery Rhyme Origins

Archaeology at Pompeii – Food Remains

The Cornish Pasty by Gillian Hogg

Pie: A Global History by Janet Clarkson

Archaeozoology at the British Museum

Pie: A Savor the South Cookbook by Sara Foster

Jamaican Patties – History

Tourtière – Canadian Encyclopedia

Empanadas – Origins

Victorian Pie Shops – Museum of London

Meat Pies in Literature – Sweeney Todd

Contact

Chris Webster

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Rachel Roden

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RachelUnraveled (Instagram)

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