The Thousand-Year Story of How the Fork Crossed Europe

Darius von Guttner Sporzynski/The Conversation

In today’s world, we barely think about picking up a fork. It is part of a standard cutlery set, as essential as the plate itself. But not that long ago, this now-ordinary utensil was viewed with suspicion, derision and even moral outrage.

It took centuries, royal marriages and a bit of cultural rebellion to get the fork from the kitchens of Constantinople (today’s Istanbul) onto the dining tables of Europe.

A Scandalous Utensil

Early versions of forks have been found in Bronze Age China and Ancient Egypt, though they were likely used for cooking and serving.

The Romans had elegant forks made of bronze and silver, but again, mainly for food preparation.

Bronze serving fork from Ancient Rome, c 2nd,3rd century AD. Metropolitan Museum of Art

Eating with a fork , especially a small, personal one , was rare.

Related posts

AD-X2: When US Politicians Took on Science

Archaeologists Uncover How Ritual Ceremonies Helped Pave the Way for Chinese Unification

Amenhotep III Tomb Reopens After Two Decades of Meticulous Restoration