Leslie Lockett, professor of English and associate director of the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, gives a lecture titled "Writing the History of Cheese in Medieval Europe."
How were cheesemaking, cheese consumption, and the cultural significance of cheese different in medieval Europe (ca. 500-1500 CE) than they are for us? In this lecture I address this question from three angles, by discussing cheese itself, cheese as a symbol or concept, and replicative experiments in cheesemaking. In the first part of the talk, I analyze written historical evidence concerning how cheeses were produced, eaten, and enjoyed in the era before artificial refrigeration and microscopes existed, and I show that the cultural significance of cheese varied sharply among regions within medieval Europe. Next, I examine instances in which cheese serves as a potent symbol or explanatory concept: for example, the remarkable analogy that likens the development of the human fetus in the womb to the coagulation of milk into cheese curds. To conclude, I share plans for the next phase of my research, in which the principles of experimental archaeology will inform the project of replicating medieval cheesemaking methods and materials as thoroughly as possible, potentially granting us a deeper understanding of medieval cheeses than written evidence alone will permit.
Inaugural lectures celebrate Arts and Humanities faculty who have been promoted to the rank of professor. All lectures are held in the Faculty Club Grand Lounge from 4-6 p.m. and are preceded by a reception and followed by Q&A and discussion. All lectures are free and open to the public.
The Arts and Humanities Inaugural Lecture Series is sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences.
