Archaeologists reveal the fast food Ancient Romans liked to snack on

Fast food isn’t a new invention, it was a concept much enjoyed by the Ancient Romans. However, the contents of the food may not be a popular choice today. Researchers have revealed that commoners in the Roman Empire would frequently snack on fried songbirds at roadside shops, after they analysed an ancient trash pit in Spain (Picture: Getty)

Previous research suggested fast food was a luxury dish, and were served from places known as popinae and tabernae. These places would serve the fried small thrushes, according to the study, which is published in the International Journal of Osteoarchaeology (Picture: Getty)

So, what did the researchers do?

The researchers analysed small animal bones which they found in a cesspit in the ancient Spanish city of Pollentia, which dates back to between the first century BC and the first century AD. The city had expanded quickly, and there were several roadside shops called popina serving snacks and wine. So, in the trash pits of this ancient city, the researchers excavated a trash pit in a commercial area which is linked to a forum and a network of food shops though an underground drainage (Picture: Getty)

What did the researchers find?

The cesspits had a few animal remains, including mammals, fish, reptiles, and birds. However, the ‘most abundant’ were thrushes – and the researchers found 165 thrush bones. This challenged the belief that singbirds were mainly eaten by wealthier Romans. There have even been texts, written by famous writer Pliny the Elder (right), who described fattening songbirds with figs before roasting them in different sauces (Picture: Getty)

How were the birds eaten?

The researchers say they found signs that the bird sternum was removed so it could be flattened before it was cooked in oil at the shops. They compared the findings to bird remains discovered near ancient household settings, which tended to have more complete carcasses. This suggests there was a ‘standardised approach’ for commercial food service (Picture: Getty)

The researchers wrote: ‘The removal of the sternum to flatten the birds would have facilitated rapid cooking while maintaining meat moisture, making it especially suitable for busy food vendors serving immediate consumption needs. Given that Roman culinary practices often involved frying small birds in oil rather than grilling, it is plausible that at Pollentia, thrushes were not grilled but rather pan-fried, as suggested by historical recipes’ (Picture: Getty)

They added: ‘This evidence suggests that thrushes were commonly sold and consumed in Roman urban spaces, challenging the prevailing notion based on written sources that thrushes were exclusively a luxury food item for elite banquets. Furthermore, their seasonal availability suggests that urban vendors capitalised on migratory cycles to enhance food diversity and economic stability’ (Picture: Getty)