Zooarchaeology

ZOOARCHAEOLOGY OR ARCHAEOZOOLOGY:-

    INTRODUCTION:-  

         Zooarchaeology define or refers to the study of animal remains excavated from any archaeological sites. The goal of zooarchaeology is to understand the relationship between humans and their environment, specifically between humans and animal population. Zooarchaeology course is characterized by it's broad , interdisciplinary character that adequately covers all aspects of the field. 

     ZOOARCHAEOLOGY AS AN INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH:-  
           First critical examinations of these remains were not conducted until 1700. The anthropological or  historical orientation of archaeology is an important source of diversity in zooarchaeology . The greatest source of diversity lies in the multidisciplinary background. Zooarchaeologists may be a anthropologists, paleontologists, archaeologists, biological anthropologists, zoologist, ecologist, forensic biologists, veterinarian, etc. Each field brings different perspective, methods and research goals to study animal remains in archaeological sites.

      NAME:-  
            The term zooarchaeology was first or commonly used by researchers working in Eurasia and African countries, and it emphasizes the actual purpose or meaning of the term. The other term occasionally used is  'Osteoarchaeology'. Osteoarchaeology refers to the study of animal bone remains in archaeological sites and their contribution to the whole formation process. 

         INTERACTION  BETWEEN HUMANS AND ANIMALS IN ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONTEXT:-

                    The primary purpose of zooarchaeology research is to learn about the interaction between humans and animals , and the consequences. One of the fundamental reason of their presence in the archaeological sites is their consumption in diet . Thus it helps zooarchaeologists to get a records of nutritional information. Some leaves ambiguous archaeological evidence.
                        Antlers or bones often acted as an implements for making tools or ornaments.......it often used for medicinal purposes in different parts of the world.
                         Animals are also used to understand the cultural attributes such as social affiliation and belief systems.
                         It also helps to predict or leads to many explanations...but there's hardly any or no evidence in archaeological records.

          ZOOARCHAEOLOGY ANSWERS MANY QUESTIONS:-  
             It helps us to get enlighten about diet, animal that were eaten, technology, behavior, past environment, climate, vegetation etc.

         TECHNIQUES:- 
                               ● Lab analysis, which is usually done by comparing the skeletal remains found in the site with already identified skeletal remain. 
                               ● Quantification, it interprets on the basis of number and size of the bones.

          REQUIREMENTS:-
                   ● Basic biological and ecological knowledge.
                   ● Strong foundation in skeletal biological and morphology.