Zooarchaeology
This field, managed by specialists known as zooarchaeologists or faunal analysts, examines remnants such as bones, shells, hair, chitin, scales, hides, and proteins, such as DNA, to derive insights into historical human-animal interactions and environmental conditions.
[1] While bones and shells tend to be relatively more preserved in archaeological contexts, the survival of faunal remains is generally infrequent.
[2] The degradation or fragmentation of faunal remains presents challenges in the accurate analysis and interpretation of data.
[2] Characterized by its interdisciplinary nature, zooarchaeology bridges the studies of ancient human societies and the animal kingdom.
[3] Practitioners, from various scientific backgrounds including anthropology, paleontology, and ecology, aim primarily to identify and understand human interactions with animals and their environments.
[4] Through the analysis of faunal remains, zooarchaeologists can gain insight into past diets, domestication practices, tool usage, and ritualistic behaviors, thus contributing to a comprehensive view of human-environment interactions and the sub-field of environmental archaeology.
[6] One important aspect of zooarchaeology is using morphological and genetic evidence to answer questions zooarchaeologists have about the relationship between animals and humans.
[11] Some common faunal remains found at sites include, as stated above, bones, shells, hair, chitin, scales, hides, proteins and DNA.
[10]: 176 Distinguishing different types of damage to animal bones is a tedious and complex process that requires background in multiple scientific fields.
[10]: 1 Identification of animal remains requires a combination of anatomy, taxonomy, and studies of archaeological context.
[10]: 1 Zoological osteology is useful to zooarchaeology because certain morphological aspects of a bone are associated with particular periods of growth, which can help narrow down the age the specimen was at death.
[10]: 9 The wear pattern and tooth morphology provides information about a species diet and age; the enamel also has biochemical remains of what the animal ate.
[10]: 9 While animal remains can include more than just bones and teeth, the nature of things like hair and muscle cause it to deteriorate quickly after death, leaving the skeleton behind; this is why most of zooarchaeology revolves around skeletal morphology.
[10]: 6 Laboratory analysis can include comparing the skeletons found on site with previously identified lab specimens.
Genetic history of an animal can give information on population movement over time and environmental adaptations necessary to live in an area.
[5] Human-animal relationships and interactions were diverse during prehistory from being a food source to playing a more intimate role in society.
[15] Analyses of faunal remains are important to show how prehistoric and hunter-gatherer civilizations interacted with the animals in their environment.
[citation needed] Animal burials date back to prehistory with examples emerging from the Mesolithic period.
Some of the dogs who were buried alone have grave goods similar to their human contemporaries such as flint weapons and deer antlers.
Erica Hill, a professor in archaeology, suggests that the burials of prehistory animals can shed light on human-animal relationships.
