The Archaeology of Animal Bones

Texas A&M University Anthropology Series

by Terry P. O'Connor

Animal ecologists can observe the present and reconstruct the last one or two centuries from historical sources, but the study of animal bones adds valuable insight into the peoples and landscapes of the past while telling much about the evolution of human-animal relationships. In this standard work, now available in paperback, O’Connor offers a detailed overview of the study of animal bones. He analyzes bone composition and structure and the archaeological evidence left by the processes of life, death, and decomposition. He goes on to look at how bone is excavated, examined, described, identified, measured, and reassembled into skeletons. The bulk of the book is devoted to the interpretation of bone fragments, which tell much about the animals themselves—their health, growth, diet, injuries, and age at death.

Genres: Archaeology, Palaeontology, Animals

206 pages, Paperback

First published August 28, 2000

About the author

Terry O'Connor read Archaeology at London University, specialising in field archaeology and the study of animal remains. On completion of a PhD in which sheep featured strongly, he worked at the Environmental Archaeology Unit, University of York for nine years, principally conducting zooarchaeological research on material from York. He then moved to the University of Bradford for a further nine years, teaching zooarchaeology and environmental archaeology.

Terry returned to York in 1999 and intends to stay there.

Reviews

[Anjj]

easier read than human osteology lol but just as facinating. what a waste of 19% of the book which is bibliography :-(

[Lee Broderick · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good introductory text to zooarchaeology, using the author's own research as case studies and written with a great deal of humour. It also features more on taphonomy and palaeoecology than other introductory texts to the subject.

[Sarai · Rating 4 out of 5]

A perfect companion of a short course I attended on Osteoarchaeology, I was mainly interested in the animal side over the human so I purchased this interesting book.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

The guy who wrote this is a goofy Brit, and it comes out in randomly delightful places. Never would have thought that reading a textbook about zooarchaeology could be this much fun!

[Antonio De Cunzo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very good discussion on basic bone biology, but otherwise very heavy on European examples and not particularly thorough.