No Until recently, osteological studies into ancient diet and health have primarily focused upon ... more No Until recently, osteological studies into ancient diet and health have primarily focused upon human remains. As a result, these areas of research are still in their infancy in the field zoo-archaeology. Animals have paid a heavy price for many major human advances, such as those in agriculture and transport. This use (and often abuse) of animals has left many tell-tale signs in their teeth and bones. Along with the many advantages in animal exploitation have also come major problems for humans. Thus, infectious diseases passed from animals to humans must have long played a significant evolutionary role in the development of society. The zooarchaeological record could provide an extremely important temporal framework for exploring and understanding past and current issues of human health and animal welfare. This volume provides one of the first contributions to the field, and may stimulate many more.
The potential of dental microwear for recognizing the use of seaweed as fodder in the past is exp... more The potential of dental microwear for recognizing the use of seaweed as fodder in the past is explored through the analysis of microwear patterning in modern seaweed-eating and grazing sheep from Orkney. Seaweed-eating and grazing sheep are clearly distinguished on the ...
The Early Bronze Age barrows at Irthlingborough and Gayhurst in central England are notable for t... more The Early Bronze Age barrows at Irthlingborough and Gayhurst in central England are notable for the large number of cattle (Bos taurus) remains associated with their human Beaker burials. Previous work using strontium isotope analysis has indicated that most of the cattle analysed, and one aurochs (Bos primigenius), were of local origin [Towers, J., Montgomery, J., Evans, J., Jay, M.,
No Until recently, osteological studies into ancient diet and health have primarily focused upon ... more No Until recently, osteological studies into ancient diet and health have primarily focused upon human remains. As a result, these areas of research are still in their infancy in the field zoo-archaeology. Animals have paid a heavy price for many major human advances, such as those in agriculture and transport. This use (and often abuse) of animals has left many tell-tale signs in their teeth and bones. Along with the many advantages in animal exploitation have also come major problems for humans. Thus, infectious diseases passed from animals to humans must have long played a significant evolutionary role in the development of society. The zooarchaeological record could provide an extremely important temporal framework for exploring and understanding past and current issues of human health and animal welfare. This volume provides one of the first contributions to the field, and may stimulate many more.
The potential of dental microwear for recognizing the use of seaweed as fodder in the past is exp... more The potential of dental microwear for recognizing the use of seaweed as fodder in the past is explored through the analysis of microwear patterning in modern seaweed-eating and grazing sheep from Orkney. Seaweed-eating and grazing sheep are clearly distinguished on the ...
The Early Bronze Age barrows at Irthlingborough and Gayhurst in central England are notable for t... more The Early Bronze Age barrows at Irthlingborough and Gayhurst in central England are notable for the large number of cattle (Bos taurus) remains associated with their human Beaker burials. Previous work using strontium isotope analysis has indicated that most of the cattle analysed, and one aurochs (Bos primigenius), were of local origin [Towers, J., Montgomery, J., Evans, J., Jay, M.,
Animal bones and teeth are recovered from most archaeological sites where soil preservation condi... more Animal bones and teeth are recovered from most archaeological sites where soil preservation conditions range from neutral to slightly acidic or slightly alkaline. These finds of mammal, birds, fish and (occasionally) amphibian or reptile bone may reflect the disposal of waste materials associated with the use of animal products for food, for artefact production or other uses such as hides, fur or wool.1 Equally, archaeological bone can derive from the more intentional and purposeful deposition of animal bodies or animal body parts (referred to as Animal Bone Groups or ABGs), often reflecting symbolic or non-functional attitudes to animals. Common examples include the caching and display of feasting debris,2 and the incorporation of animal bodies into foundation or closing deposits.3 Animal skeletal material may also become accidentally incorporated into archaeological deposits through the actions of predator species such as owls or dogs.4 The faunal assemblage from the Ness of Brodgar, which with an estimated size of c.175,000 fragments is one of the largest bone collections in Neolithic Scotland, accumulated through all these processes.
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range from neutral to slightly acidic or slightly alkaline. These finds of mammal, birds, fish and (occasionally)
amphibian or reptile bone may reflect the disposal of waste materials associated with the use of animal
products for food, for artefact production or other uses such as hides, fur or wool.1 Equally, archaeological
bone can derive from the more intentional and purposeful deposition of animal bodies or animal body
parts (referred to as Animal Bone Groups or ABGs), often reflecting symbolic or non-functional attitudes to
animals. Common examples include the caching and display of feasting debris,2 and the incorporation of
animal bodies into foundation or closing deposits.3 Animal skeletal material may also become accidentally
incorporated into archaeological deposits through the actions of predator species such as owls or dogs.4 The
faunal assemblage from the Ness of Brodgar, which with an estimated size of c.175,000 fragments is one of
the largest bone collections in Neolithic Scotland, accumulated through all these processes.