Commercial Zooarchaeology Book

Animal remains are one of the largest groups of finds expected to be recovered from many archaeological excavations. They provide vital information regarding diet, environment, social status and economy, as well as less obvious areas such as site formation processes, the nature of the site itself, perceptions of animals and the wider cosmology of those living in the past. It is the commercial zooarchaeologist’s role to tread a line between systematic data collection and analysis, and the presentation of the results in a manner that brings the findings to life, interpreting the remains to better understand human-animal-landscape-settlement relationships. Commercial zooarchaeologists have to be knowledgeable not just about methods relating to zooarchaeology, but also the major themes relating to archaeology in general, specific to each timescale they work within; potentially ranging from the palaeolithic to modern periods. This book aims to showcase the crucial work that professional zooarchaeologists undertake. Incorporating the experiences of specialists from around the world, the challenges and benefits of working within archaeological units and on a freelance basis is discussed, highlighting the value of working with archaeologists in the commercial and academic sectors to provide an in-depth and global understanding of zooarchaeology in context.