Zooarchaeological research is guided by the scientific method. Zooarchaeologists distinguish between primary data, which are descriptive observations, and secondary data, which are analytical products derived from primary data. As much primary data as possible should be clearly recorded during the initial study, and these data should be accessible to future researchers.

The ultimate goal of zooarchaeological analysis is to use animal remains, alongside other evidence, to make inferences regarding the biological, cultural, and ecological behavior of people in the past. Secondary data, which are often mathematically derived from primary data, link primary observations about zooarchaeological specimens to larger cultural and ecological processes.

A key dimension of human–animal relationships is predation. People pursue animal resources that support life and health, while ensuring that the costs required to find, catch, transport, process, distribute, and consume these foods do not exceed the benefits they offer. Animals play a key role in human subsistence strategies, and their use and meaning is woven into all other facets of human life, from the sacred to the profane.

Knowledge drawn from ecology, the study of interactions between organisms and their environments, is critical to zooarchaeological interpretation. Using theories and methods common in modern ecology, zooarchaeological research demonstrates the profound impact of human behavior on ecosystems across space and time. Ecological understanding allows zooarchaeologists to understand how humans shaped ecosystems in the past, how those systems shaped us, and how we may adapt to ecological changes in the future.

Taphonomy is the study of the transformation of archaeological deposits from deposition, to recovery, and analysis. These changes occur prior to excavation (first-order changes), and during excavation and analysis (second-order changes). The taphonomic histories of assemblages vary greatly from site to site, and may not be completely knowable, even using multiple lines of evidence.

The intellectual roots of zooarchaeology are interdisciplinary and international. In spite of this global scope, zooarchaeology is remarkably cohesive, and centered on two related goals: (1) to understand, through time and space, the biology and ecology of animals, and (2) to understand the structures and functions of human behavior. Most modern zooarchaeological research falls into three broad areas that inform and shape one another: (1) methodological research, (2) anthropological research, and (3) biological research.

The domestication of animals by people, and their resulting mutual dependence, profoundly altered human societies and the environments in which we live. Recent advances in archaeogenetics and meta-analyses of zooarchaeological data expand upon traditional approaches to the topic and demonstrate that animal domestication was more widespread and complex than previously thought.

Zooarchaeological research has transformed our knowledge about relationships among animals and people. We have a much better understanding of the diverse ways in which people respond to the challenges and opportunities of their environments; the variety of roles animals fill; the breadth of animals’ social meanings; the importance of cuisines in sustaining our biological and social lives; and the magnitude of our impact on the environment. and is increasingly informed by technical and theoretical advances as members of interdisciplinary teams. From this holistic perspective on the human condition, we gain a better understanding of our past, present, and future.

Zooarchaeology is the study of animal remains excavated from archaeological sites. The goal of zooarchaeology is to understand human relationships with the environment through their interactions with nonhuman animals. Zooarchaeology is widely interdisciplinary, global in scope, and practiced by a diverse, interconnected community of scholars with a wide range of experiences, theoretical interests, training, and methodologies.