Zooarchaeology II: Exploring the Assemblage - ARC00053M
- Department: Archaeology
- Credit value: 5 credits
- Credit level: M
- Academic year of delivery: 2022-23
Module summary
This module provides a grounding in the zooarchaeologist's basic toolkit: the main types of analysis that one expects to see in a typical bone report. As such, it will be useful for anyone who needs to read and interpret zooarchaeological reports, as well as those planning to study animal bones directly. You will work hands-on with both ancient and modern bone collections, record and analyse data, and discuss issues of interpretation with the group.
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Spring Term 2022-23 |
Module aims
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To introduce students to the main forms of data routinely gathered from animal remains: age, sex, size, and pathology; and explain their relevance.
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To provide practical experience of gathering these data.
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To outline the main approaches to quantification of animal remains, and their implications for data analysis.
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To demonstrate the process of primary zooarchaeological analysis, from desk to database.
Module learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should:
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Understand the basic techniques for recording age/sex data, biometric variation, and palaeopathology from animal remains.
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Be able to apply those techniques and perform basic analysis of the resulting data.
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Understand the complexities of zooarchaeological quantification, and have a basic grasp of the most appropriate statistical approaches to zooarchaeological data.
Module content
The module is designed to lead students through the main forms of analysis that make up any zooarchaeological study, paying equal attention to the practical business of recording and the subsequent data analysis and interpretation. We start from the fundamentals of counting and comparing frequencies of different species and representation of different anatomical parts, before moving on to look at evidence for bone modifications related to butchery and palaeopathology. Age-at-death analysis and sex assessment are covered using both teeth and postcranial elements. Finally, we consider the use of bone measurements to explore size variation in past animals, and review the practicalities and pitfalls of statistical applications within zooarchaeology.
Indicative assessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
Special assessment rules
Pass/fail
Indicative reassessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
Module feedback
Feedback will be available within 4 weeks
Indicative reading
O’Connor, T.P. 2003. The Analysis of Urban Animal Bone Assemblages. York: York Archaeological Trust.
Reitz, E. & W. Wing, 2008. Zooarchaeology. 2nd edn. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.