Zooarchaeology

INTRODUCTION

Research does not occur in an intellectual vacuum. When developing research designs, scholars should be familiar with both the history of their discipline and the current theoretical climate in the field in which they work. Zooarchaeology is such a diverse field that it is impossible to do justice to its history on a global scale; therefore, our emphasis is on zooarchaeology in the context of anthropological archaeology, primarily in the United States. Despite regional variations, it is surprising how similar zooarchaeology is internationally. This may result, in part, from international networks and the focus on animal remains. It may also be that the biological background of many zooarchaeologists and the relative youth of the field are responsible for the many shared features (Horton 1986). Nevertheless, it is important that students review literature from their study locale to learn about zooarchaeological trajectories in that specific area. Obituaries and dedicatory reviews are good sources of information about the field and collegial networks.

Zooarchaeological research has two related goals: (1) to understand, through time and space, the biology and ecology of animals, and (2) to understand the structure and function of human behavior. To address these goals, theories and methods are drawn from a number of sources. The biological and physical sciences are one source. The second source is anthropology, particularly those methods and theories pertaining to the relationship of humans with their natural and social environments. A third source is archaeology itself, especially where anthropology and archaeology are separate disciplines.