The Archaeology of Animals

The Archaeology of Animals PDF Author: Simon J. M. Davis
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1135106592
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 227

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Book Description
Ever since the discovery of fossil remains of extinct animals associated with flint implements, bones and other animal remains have been providing invaluable information to the archaeologist. In the last 20 years many archaeologists and zoologists have taken to studying such "archaeofaunal" remains, and the science of "zoo-archaeology" has come into being. What was the nature of the environment in which our ancestors lived? In which season were sites occupied? When did our earliest ancestors start to hunt big game, and how efficient were they as hunters? Were early humans responsible for the extinction of so many species of large mammals 10-20,000 years ago? When, where and why were certain animals first domesticated? When did milking and horse-riding begin? Did the Romans influence our eating habits? What were sanitary conditions like in medieval England? And could the terrible pestilence which afflicted the English in the seventh century AD have been plague? These are some of the questions dealt with in this book. The book also describes the nature and development of bones and teeth, and some of the methods used in zoo-archaeology.

The Archaeology of Animals

The Archaeology of Animals PDF Author: Simon J. M. Davis
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1135106592
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 227

Get Book Here

Book Description
Ever since the discovery of fossil remains of extinct animals associated with flint implements, bones and other animal remains have been providing invaluable information to the archaeologist. In the last 20 years many archaeologists and zoologists have taken to studying such "archaeofaunal" remains, and the science of "zoo-archaeology" has come into being. What was the nature of the environment in which our ancestors lived? In which season were sites occupied? When did our earliest ancestors start to hunt big game, and how efficient were they as hunters? Were early humans responsible for the extinction of so many species of large mammals 10-20,000 years ago? When, where and why were certain animals first domesticated? When did milking and horse-riding begin? Did the Romans influence our eating habits? What were sanitary conditions like in medieval England? And could the terrible pestilence which afflicted the English in the seventh century AD have been plague? These are some of the questions dealt with in this book. The book also describes the nature and development of bones and teeth, and some of the methods used in zoo-archaeology.

The Archaeology of Mesoamerican Animals

The Archaeology of Mesoamerican Animals PDF Author: Kitty F. Emery
Publisher: Lockwood Press
ISBN: 1937040151
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 809

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Book Description
Recognition of the role of animals in ancient diet, economy, politics, and ritual is vital to understanding ancient cultures fully, while following the clues available from animal remains in reconstructing environments is vital to understanding the ancient relationship between humans and the world around them. In response to the growing interest in the field of zooarchaeology, this volume presents current research from across the many cultures and regions of Mesoamerica, dealing specifically with the most current issues in zooarchaeological literature. Geographically, the essays collected here index the different aspects of animal use by the indigenous populations of the entire area between the northern borders of Mexico and the southern borders of lower Central America. This includes such diverse cultures as the north Mexican hunter-gatherers, the Olmec, Maya, Mixtec, Zapotec, and Central American Indians. The time frame of the volume extends from the earliest human occupation, the Preclassic, Classic, Postclassic, and Colonial manifestations, to recent times. The book's chapters, written by experts in the field of Mesoamerican zooarchaeology, provide important general background on the domestic and ritual use of animals in early and classic Mesoamerica and Central America, but deal also with special aspects of human-animal relationships such as early domestication and symbolism of animals, and important yet otherwise poorly represented aspects of taphonomy and zooarchaeological methodology. Spanish-language version also available (ISBN 978-1-937040-12-3).

The Archaeology of Animal Bones

The Archaeology of Animal Bones PDF Author: Terry O'Connor
Publisher: The History Press
ISBN: 0752495224
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 312

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Book Description
Animal bones are one of the most abundant types of evidence found in archaeological sites dating from pre-historic times to the Middle Ages, and they can reveal a startling amount about the economy and way of life of people in the past. This is a fascinating introduction for anyone seeking to understand how these bones can shed light on our knowledge of the past, as well as the complex relationship between human and animals. Written by one of the most respected experts in this field, and published for the first time in paperback, this book will be essential reading for archaeologists, or indeed anyone intrigued by the recreation of long lost worlds from the most insignificant-seeming fragments of animal bones.

Shuffling Nags, Lame Ducks

Shuffling Nags, Lame Ducks PDF Author: Laszlo Bartosiewicz
Publisher: Oxbow Books
ISBN: 1782971947
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 311

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Book Description
The analysis of animal bone assemblages from archaeological sites provides much valuable data concerning economic and husbandry practices in the past, as well as insights into cultural and symbolic or ritual activity. Animal palaeopathology can identify diseases in archaeozoological assemblages but little interest has been expressed in investigating and understanding the cultural aspects of the diseases identified. Such assemblages represent the cumulative effects of human attitudes, decisions and influences regarding the keeping, care, treatment, neglect and exploitation of animals which result in a range of conditions, non-infectious diseases and injuries that can be recognised on ancient skeletal material. Additionally, ever since the domestication of a handful of animal species around 10,000 years ago, close physical proximity has been a mutual source of infectious disease and traumatic injury for humans and animals alike. Shuffling Nags, Lame Ducks provides an invaluable guide to the investigation of trauma and disease in archaeozoological assemblages. It provides a clear methodological approach, and describes and explains the wide range of traumatic lesions, infections, diseases, inherited disorders and other pathological changes and anomalies that can be identified. In so doing, it explores the impact that “man-made” decisions have had on animals, including special aspects of culture that may be reflected in the treatment of diseased or injured animals often incorporating powerful symbolic or religious roles, and seeks to enhance our understanding of the relationship between man and beast in the past. Chapters include: · History of studying pathological animal remains · Differences between human and animal palaeopathology · Methodology · Growth, development and ageing · Traumatic lesions · Inflammatory diseases and bone · Pathological lesions in working animals · Diseases connected to the environment

The Symbolic Role of Animals in Archaeology

The Symbolic Role of Animals in Archaeology PDF Author: Pam J. Crabtree
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Museum
ISBN: 1949057003
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 106

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Book Description
The papers in this volume represent a range of approaches to the study of the symbolic roles of animals in human cultures. The theme that unites these papers is their use of a variety of different kinds of evidenceincluding archaeological, faunal, historical, ethnographic, artistic, and folkloric datain the reconstruction of animal symbolism.

The Oxford Handbook of Zooarchaeology

The Oxford Handbook of Zooarchaeology PDF Author: Umberto Albarella
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199686475
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 865

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Book Description
Animals have played a fundamental role in shaping human history, and the study of their remains from archaeological sites - zooarchaeology - has gradually been emerging as a powerful discipline and crucible for forging an understanding of our past. This Handbook offers a cutting-edge, global compendium of zooarchaeology that seeks to provide a holistic view of the role played by animals in past human cultures. Case studies from across five continents explore ahuge range of human-animal interactions from an array of geographical, historical, and cultural contexts, and also illuminate the many approaches and methods adopted by different schools and traditions instudying these relationships.

The Archaeology of Animals

The Archaeology of Animals PDF Author: Simon J. M. Davis
Publisher: Psychology Press
ISBN: 0415151481
Category : Animal remains (Archaeology)
Languages : en
Pages : 227

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Book Description
From Stone Age mammoth-hunters to Roman black rats, this book explains how fossils found on archaeological sites help to unravel some of the mysteries which surround our ancestors.

What is an Animal?

What is an Animal? PDF Author: Tim Ingold
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134948247
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 220

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Book Description
This book offers a unique interdisciplinary challenge to assumptions about animals and animality deeply embedded in our own ways of thought, and at the same time exposes highly sensitive and largely unexplored aspects of the understanding of our common humanity.

Identifying and Interpreting Animal Bones

Identifying and Interpreting Animal Bones PDF Author: April M. Beisaw
Publisher: Texas A&M University Press
ISBN: 162349026X
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 194

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Book Description
Offering a field-tested analytic method for identifying faunal remains, along with helpful references, images, and examples of the most commonly encountered North American species, Identifying and Interpreting Animal Bones: A Manual provides an important new reference for students, avocational archaeologists, and even naturalists and wildlife enthusiasts. Using the basic principles outlined here, the bones of any vertebrate animal, including humans, can be identified and their relevance to common research questions can be better understood. Because the interpretation of archaeological sites depends heavily on the analysis of surrounding materials—soils, artifacts, and floral and faunal remains—it is important that non-human remains be correctly distinguished from human bones, that distinctions between domesticated and wild or feral animals be made correctly, and that evidence of the reasons for faunal remains in the site be recognized. But the ability to identify and analyze animal bones is a skill that is not easy to learn from a traditional textbook. In Identifying and Interpreting Animal Bones, veteran archaeologist and educator April Beisaw guides readers through the stages of identification and analysis with sample images and data, also illustrating how specialists make analytical decisions that allow for the identification of the smallest fragments of bone. Extensive additional illustrative material, from the author’s own collected assemblages and from those in the Archaeological Analytical Research Facility at Binghamton University in New York, are also available in the book’s online supplement. There, readers can view and interact with images to further understanding of the principles explained in the text.

Animals as Domesticates

Animals as Domesticates PDF Author: Juliet Clutton-Brock
Publisher: MSU Press
ISBN: 1609173147
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 335

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Book Description
Drawing on the latest research in archaeozoology, archaeology, and molecular biology, Animals as Domesticates traces the history of the domestication of animals around the world. From the llamas of South America and the turkeys of North America, to the cattle of India and the Australian dingo, this fascinating book explores the history of the complex relationships between humans and their domestic animals. With expert insight into the biological and cultural processes of domestication, Clutton-Brock suggests how the human instinct for nurturing may have transformed relationships between predator and prey, and she explains how animals have become companions, livestock, and laborers. The changing face of domestication is traced from the spread of the earliest livestock around the Neolithic Old World through ancient Egypt, the Greek and Roman empires, South East Asia, and up to the modern industrial age.