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Source & Citation Policy

The Foods That Shaped Us maintains strict sourcing and citation standards. Our mission is to demystify food history by debunking popular myths and grounding our narratives in verifiable archaeological, botanical, and historical science.

Our Sourcing Philosophy

We do not copy uncited food blogs, folklore, or marketing claims. Every date, domestication site, and migration event described in our articles must be backed by credible source materials. We separate our sources into a strict hierarchy of authority.

The Evidence Hierarchy

When writing and reviewing food-history claims, we prioritize evidence based on this hierarchy:

  1. Primary Archaeological & Botanical Reports: Direct scientific papers (e.g., starch microfossil analysis, C14 carbon dating, carbonized seed counts, mitochondrial DNA mapping of wild vs. domesticated ancestors).
  2. Official Cultural Heritage Registries: Documents from recognized global heritage institutions, such as the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Representative List.
  3. Academic Monographs & Research: University press books, peer-reviewed monographs, and papers published in journals of food history, agricultural science, and anthropology.
  4. Established Reference Works: Food encyclopedias like The Oxford Companion to Food or general academic encyclopedias like Encyclopaedia Britannica for broad historical parameters.

Visible Sourcing and Citations

We believe sources must be visible, accessible, and copyable:

  • Inline Footnote Links: We place numeric footnote links (e.g., [1], [2]) directly adjacent to major historical claims. Clicking these links jumps directly to the source details.
  • Contextual Sourcing: In addition to footnote markers, we name the authoritative organization or academic review (like UNESCO or Britannica) in the body text.
  • Evidence Explorer: Every article includes a custom interactive Evidence Explorer tool allowing readers to copy full citation texts or inspect the scoped review lane details.

Editorial Independence

Our research and article scopes are entirely independent of commercial sponsorship. If we cite commercial brands, we clarify their role, and we do not participate in affiliate advertising schemes that would compromise our historical integrity.