Description
Zooarchaeology is the study of faunal remains (bone
and shell) from archaeological contexts to understand human use of animals for
both food and other purposes. This class provides an introduction to the
method, theory, and practice of zooarchaeology.
We examine the application of zooarchaeology to
different types of research questions and archaeological assemblages. We
also examine the factors related to both natural and human modification of bone
and shell (e.g., taphonomy, butchering practices, tool production).
You are required to master a variety of biological data related to vertebrate
skeletal structure using modern animal skeletons. Once
you have mastered skeletal biology and systematics (taxonomy for different
vertebrates), you will identify a sample of vertebrate faunal material from an
archaeological assemblage and prepare a report on that material.
Syllabus doc
Written assignments and projects