1 st Annual International Interdisciplinary Conference, AIIC 2013, 24-26 April, Azores, Portugal - Proceedings- 45 THE BENEFITS OF INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH – A CASE OF STUDYING THE CONSUMPTION OF GREEK WINES IN ROMAN ITALY Paulina Komar, MA University of δiverpool , UKήUniversity of Wrocław, Poland Abstract: This paper presents the advantages of an interdisciplinary approach in studying the consumption of Greek wines in Roman Italy. It shows how the research method may influence the obtained results, in some cases even by providing a false picture of reality. For example, the traditional, historical and philological approaches suggest Greek origins of ancient viticulture and winemaking in Italy, dated to the 8 th -7 th c. BC. However, while applying new, archeobotanical and genetic methods, local beginnings dated to the Bronze Age seem more probable. Literary sources highlight the popularity of high-quality Greek wines in Rome, whereas archaeological evidence proves that middle-quality beverages were statistically more important. Therefore, the image varies depending on the sources and methods applied. Looking from broader, multidisciplinary perspective allows us to verify information, reduce distortions and come closer to reality. Key Words: Interdisciplinary Approach, Wine, Viticulture, Italy Introduction Interdisciplinary approaches have recently become popular in many fields of scientific investigation. New methods have been applied even in studying remote times, the traditional space for classical philologists, ancient historians and archaeologists. Some time ago, scientific work would be restricted to each particular research field. Now, more often scholars try to look from broader perspectives, applying methods from other, related areas, or collaborating with specialists from completely different research fields. But is it really useful? Is it right that, for example, an archaeologist rummages in epigraphist’s or philologist’s roomς Is there any benefit for science to be brought by a team composed of geneticists, biologists, archaeologists and historians working together? In my opinion a multidisciplinary approach is not only beneficial but in certain cases even necessary. As an example, I would like to present how interdisciplinary investigations may change our knowledge about wine in Italy. First of all, I would like to deal with the issue of the supposed Greek impact on the origins of wine in Italy, showing how the conventional assumptions may be changed by innovative approach. In this part, I will use, above all, the results of the projects VINUM and ArcheoVino, regarding the origins of winemaking and viticulture in Etruria and published in Archeologia della vite e del vino in Toscana e nel Lazio 60 . Secondly, I will show the results of my own PhD study on the consumption of Greek wines in Roman Italy. On the one hand, I would like to present the image provided by analysing the texts of ancient authors, on the other, the results obtained by studying archaeological material – Aegean wine amphoras. I hope to prove that each category of sources gives different information and, while studied separately, may give an incomplete or even a false picture. Only an interdisciplinary approach allows us to come close to reality. The origins of viticulture and winemaking in Italy In this part of my paper I will present various approaches to the issue of the origins of viticulture and winemaking in Italy, as well as the results that we may obtain by applying each 60 Archeologia della vite e del vino in Toscana e nel δazioέ Dalle tecniche dell’indagine archeologica alle prospettive della biologia molecolare, A. CIACCI, P. RENDINI A. ZIFFERERO (ed.), Firenze 2012