The Spoon: A Stirring History

Archaeologist and TV presenter Peter Ginn delves into the fascinating history behind an object we all use every day - the humble spoon.

The humble spoon. Without it we’d be sunk. Slurping soup would never be the same. Research shows the average household contains 83 - teaspoons, soup spoons, dessert spoons, baby spoons, serving spoons, disposable picnic spoons, medicine spoons, measuring spoons, wooden spoons... and that’s before you really start looking!

Unsurprisingly, humankind’s first eating utensils have a long and checkered history and crop up outside of the kitchen - in ceremonies, ritual, folklore, myth, scientific theories, art, music and literature. Here, archaeologist and TV presenter Peter Ginn delves into the fascinating world of spoons and serves up a complete history of this trusty companion.

Peter Ginn is an archaeologist, author and historian who has lived and worked in countries across the globe. He is most well as a presenter of the Farm series of living history programs on the BBC. Throughout the course of his career, he has studied artifacts and everyday objects and found that behind the simplest items lie the most fascinating and complex stories.