Zooarchaeology - Animal Bones
Zooarchaeology is the study of animal remains from archaeological excavations.
Animal bones
The study of vertebrate remains from archaeological contexts has a long tradition in Denmark, where favourable soil conditions often preserve bones from mammals, fish, birds, reptiles and amphibians. Faunal assemblages can help reconstruct subsistence and paleoeconomic strategies as well as local environmental contexts.
The first step of the analysis, is species identification of individual bones and fragments. The number of specimens identified can be used to make inferences about the number of individuals and the relative contribution of various species to the assemblage. Age and sex determinations are used to reconstruct herd demographics, culling patterns and seasonality. The patterned distribution of elements in the archaeological contexts combined with observations of cut-marks can be used to infer the site formation process and distinguishes different types of waste – household, workshop or industrial.
Based on context and assemblage, an animal bones report may reveal information on:
- subsistence and diet
- local environment
- food habits
- fishing and hunting techniques
- animal husbandry practices
- economy and resource management
- trade and exchange
- ritual behaviour
- seasonality
- fauna history
Our specialists have extensive experience in analysing sub-fossil animal bones from all periods in western Eurasia with a focus on Danish and Greenlandic history and prehistory. But the extensive reference collection covers the fauna from Europe to the Middle East.
Because interpretations of site activities should be made on the basis of representative samples, we recommend sieving or flotation of excavated soil using fine-meshed sieves, to ensure that small fragments and bones of smaller species, such as fish and birds are included. Both are vital to a correct interpretation.
Animal bones analysis can be combined with other types of analyses such as 14C dating, isotope and DNA analyses.
Contact
Pernille Bangsgaard
Senior researcher
Research: Animal bones
Phone: +45 51 31 79 38
Email: pernille.bangsgaard@sund.ku.dk
Anne Birgitte Gotfredsen
Senior researcher
Research: Animal bones
Phone: +45 35 32 10 86
Email: abgotfreds@sund.ku.dk