An Introduction to Zooarchaeology

This volume is a comprehensive, critical introduction to vertebrate zooarchaeology, the field that explores the history of human relations with animals from the Pliocene to the Industrial Revolution.? The book is organized into five sections, each with an introduction, that leads the reader systematically through this swiftly expanding field. Section One presents a general introduction to zooarchaeology, key definitions, and an historical survey of the emergence of zooarchaeology in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa, and introduces the conceptual approach taken in the book. This volume is designed to allow readers to integrate data from the book along with that acquired elsewhere within a coherent analytical framework. Most of its chapters take the form of critical “review articles,” providing a portal into both the classic and current literature and contextualizing these with original commentary. Summaries of findings are enhanced by profuse illustrations by the author and others.?

Diane Gifford-Gonzalez is among the first cohort of archaeologists trained in faunal analysis and has authored numerous publications, including many widely cited as major formulations of zooarchaeological theory and method. She takes an international perspective, having researched in Africa and western North America and offered advanced seminars and workshops in the USA, Argentina, China, Kenya, Norway, and Spain. She is an elected member of the Committee of Honor, International Council of Archaeozoology (ICAZ).