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Research on milk, meat, fur, bone and animal power predominates in theories of livestock resources. However, research on livestock dung, an important livestock resource that is produced regardless of the age and sex of the animal, and is a continuous and stable resource in terms of quantity, has been neglected. From the perspective of cultural anthropology, based on archival and ethnographic research, this paper examines livestock dung culture in terms of dung gathering, utilisation, and naming systems. It is argued that a theory of dung culture will provide an insight into the formation of pastoralism and the origin of domestication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zoonotic diseases—human diseases of animal origin—represent one of the world's greatest health challenges, both today and in the past. Since the Neolithic, zoonotic diseases have been one of the major factors shaping and influencing human adaptation. Archaeology is ideally situated to provide the long view on human–animal–pathogen relationships through combining cultural, environmental and biological datasets, yet long‐term studies of linked human and animal records have often been overlooked and undertheorized. The seven papers in this special issue "Zoonotic diseases: New directions in human–animal pathology" cover a range of diseases caused by bacterial, viral, and parasitic pathogens, from case studies drawn from across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. They speak to the diversity of human–animal–environment interactions that shaped disease emergence and transmission. They also review methodological advancements relating to disease identification and interpretation and discuss interdisciplinary approaches to effectively investigate these complex processes in the past. This introduction highlights their key themes and outcomes and identifies research priorities moving forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The excavation by T. C. M Brewster and J. S. Dent between 1964 and 1989 of the multiperiod site at Wetwang Slack, East Yorkshire, has gained international importance for its square barrow cemetery and multiple Arras‐style Iron Age cart/chariot burials. A lesser known fact is that the excavations also produced the largest Iron Age faunal assemblage identified outside of southern Britain, in addition to several late Iron Age/early Romano‐British articulated animal bone groups (ABGs). The presence of pathological human and articulated faunal remains provides the unique opportunity to review the macroscopic evidence for zoonotic diseases, specifically bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in an Iron Age community where close working relationships with animals, the use of animal by‐products, and the consumption of infected dairy products all form potential avenues of infection. This paper presents the palaeopathological evidence for possible infectious disease in the ABGs at Wetwang Slack with a focus on bTB. Several cases of suspected tuberculosis are described in the human remains, with one example of gastrointestinal infection that could potentially indicate a case of bTB. Ancient DNA (aDNA) samples were taken from five ABGs testing for both Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and Brucella pathogen DNA. The results were negative, but DNA degradation was highlighted as a contributing factor. This paper highlights the importance of considering the evidence for zoonotic diseases at sites where human and faunal assemblages are recovered and especially where articulated animal skeletons are present. The paper also emphasizes that future aDNA studies of diseased faunal remains should focus on smaller amplicons or whole genome sequencing to amplify pathogen DNA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The essay summarizes the key pillars of human ecodynamics (HE) research and then highlights the most trenchant ideas from each of the seven papers in the Special Issue, especially as they intersect with HE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This special volume considers major recent changes in southern South American animal communities. Eleven papers consider megafauna, pinnipeds, marine mammals, small terrestrial mammals and birds and are grouped under four sub-headings: (1) Isotopic insights into guanaco populations; (2) Historical sources and marine ecosystem change; (3) Changes in small mammal communities and human impacts; and (4) megafaunal extinction, domestication, avifauna and recent interactions with humans. Although some of these contributions include changes that occurred earlier in the Holocene, many highlight a current decrease in the taxonomic diversity of communities and ecosystems in different environments, which are likely to have been caused by modern human activities. The Anthropocene concept is seen as providing a useful framework for understanding and mitigation of such adverse human impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an exploratory study on the taxonomic diversity of pre-Hispanic archaeofaunas in the South-Central Andes (SCA; western South America) from the Pleistocene-Holocene boundary to the Late-Holocene. The SCA is a complex of diverse environments and has undergone distinct climate events for the last 13,000 years, such as the occurrence of warmer and drier conditions in the Middle-Holocene. The South-Central Andean area was part of the larger Andes interaction area, which was a primary center for animal and plant domestication and the emergence of agro-pastoralist economies. Since subsistence was key to these processes, the SCA provides a relevant case study on the interactions among environment, foodways and sociocultural evolution. Taxonomic diversity was used here as a proxy for diet breadth. A total of 268 archaeofaunal assemblages were sampled from the zooarchaeological literature. Reviewed variables included the cultural chronology and spatial coordinates of the assemblages, as well as the presence and abundance of taxa at the family rank. Taxonomic diversity covered two dimensions: composition (families present in each assemblage) and structure (quantitative relationships among taxa), which was measured through richness (NTAXA), ubiquity and relative abundance (NISP based rank-order). Despite the uneven distribution of samples, the analyses revealed the following trends: (1) a moderate relationship between NTAXA and distance from coastline for most of the Holocene; (2) a potential decrease in assemblage richness for coastal ecoregions during the Late-Holocene; and (3) a generalized increase in the relative abundance of Camelidae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessment of zooarchaeological data for the principal livestock (i.e., cattle, sheep, goats and pigs) reveals regional and cultural variability in how animals were manipulated, marketed, bred, and utilized over the course of antiquity. This paper focuses upon those developments, as reconstructed through zooarchaeological frequency and morphometric data for the period from c. 1000 BCE to c. 700 CE. Regionally, North Africa encompasses a vast territory, from Egypt, in the East, to Mauretania, in the West. Ecologically, there are variations within each of these zones. Culturally, moreover, these regions witnessed the introduction and influence of different social and economic agents and factors over the timeframe under investigation. This paper examines patterns in these components in a broad synthetic manner, using zooarchaeological data across the entire expanse of Roman North Africa—from Egypt to Mauretania. Focus centers upon the nature and degree of size and shape changes within the principal livestock, modifications that were in part influenced by aspects such as the scale and pattern in trade, dietary appeal for animal products (notably fatty meats), market demands, ecological adaptations, as well as economic and cultural contact among areas. Key similarities and differences in faunal patterns, across time and space within ancient North Africa, and the links these share with changes in animal husbandry schemes are outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The authors present results on animal resources in the economy of medieval Moldova as they are reflected by analyses of animal skeletal remains recovered from archaeological sites situated in northeastern Romania and the Republic of Moldova. This paper aims to statistically evaluate the data of previous studies, and to analyse the case of the urban settlement from Târgu Neamț in the context of medieval Moldova. The results indicate the great importance of animal breeding and the low interest in hunting and fishing. This study aims to contribute to the knowledge of the medieval Moldovan economy by evaluating animal resources (e.g., animal husbandry, hunting, fishing) based on the skeletal remains found in archaeologic sites from northeastern Romania and the Republic of Moldova. Animal remains, especially those from the urban settlement of the 14th–16th centuries from Târgu Neamţ (NE Romania), were described in terms of their frequencies (i.e., number of identified specimens and minimum number of individuals), morphometry, and livestock management (i.e., animal selection by age and sex). The results were compared with those obtained from other settlements—rural, urban, and fortress—from medieval Moldova. Correspondence analysis of the identified animals and settlements on the basis of the frequency values reveals associations between the two variables (animal species and settlement). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a novel perspective concerning the emergence of al-Andalus based on the study of food. This is a field of human behaviour that is highly informative in socio-cultural terms because of its links to ethno-religious identity. The aim is to demonstrate the usefulness of studying zooarchaeological evidence that provides information on the consumption of (or abstinence from) pork by different peninsular communities during the first centuries of al-Andalus. The results show the analytical potential of this line of research for examining the advance of the process of social Islamisation, understood as the fundamental dynamic of historical change in the shaping of Andalusi society, and one of the main mechanisms used by the Umayyad state to establish its power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the 1,224 bird remains found during the excavations of 1990–2015 in the Vilnius Lower Castle, Lithuania. The faunal material originates from a wide time span of the 13th to the 19th centuries. To explore the bird consumption in different periods of occupation of the castle and between different social strata, we analyzed the bird specimens by morphological characteristics. The study included taxonomical identification, recording the taphonomic features and pathologies, and assessing age and sex. As expected, the majority of the bones belong to the domestic chicken, but it is mostly the presence of wild taxa such as hawk, swan, and wild galliforms that demonstrates the various roles the birds played in peoples' everyday lives. Additionally, a few pathologies like avian osteopetrosis were identified that are unique to the eastern Baltic region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The passenger pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius) was once the most abundant bird species in North America. Flocks of these birds witnessed in the early 19th century were so vast that they were said to darken the sky for days as they passed. Early syntheses of passenger pigeon remains in archaeological contexts in the eastern United States, in contrast, found them to be relatively rare in relation to other fowl, leading to the suggestion that the colonial‐era hyper‐abundance of passenger pigeons was a post‐European‐contact phenomenon resulting from contact‐induced demographic and ecological changes. In this paper, we provide new insights into passenger pigeon historical ecology through a synthesis and GIS‐based analysis of zooarchaeological data on skeletal remains from 157 Late Woodland (ca. 900–1650 CE) sites in Ontario, Canada. Our results reveal that passenger pigeon bones are common, and often abundant, in Late Woodland archaeological assemblages in Ontario, which speaks to the species' importance to Indigenous peoples in the region. However, the relative abundance of passenger pigeon remains varies over time, suggesting longer‐term trends in their availability and/or in hunting patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the project 'Harvesting Memories: Ecology and Archaeology of Monti Sicani Landscapes', this paper aims to reconstruct human–environment interactions in the inland areas of Western Sicily during the Early Middle Ages through a comparative analysis of environmental archaeological data. We analyse carpological and anthracological finds and faunal remains originating from different layers of the rural settlement of Contrada Castro (Corleone, Palermo), excavated in 2017–2019. The site was mainly occupied between the Byzantine and Islamic periods (late 8th to 11th c. AD). The examination of wood charcoal enabled the identification of plant species selected and exploited in the landscape of the site for each main chronological period. The archaeobotanical data indicated a precise, qualitative picture on the historical vegetation of this area, accompanied with the agricultural practices of the communities. The zooarchaeological data added further information on the reconstruction of rural economy and animal exploitation patterns. An integrated comparison of the characteristic landscape and the archaeobotanical and zooarchaeological data presented the dynamics of agricultural strategy, wood exploitation, and management of animal resources of an early medieval rural community in Western Sicily. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boston's "Big Dig" construction project resulted in the excavation of multiple archaeological sites dating from the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries, including the Great House/Three Cranes Tavern in Charlestown, Massachusetts (USA). An otherwise unremarkable pit below the tavern foundation contained bones originally identified as a cat skeleton, which has subsequently been reidentified as a dog. This paper discusses site context, osteological evidence for the dog's reclassification, and the shifts in cultural meaning this may indicate. Employing an osteobiographical approach, it draws together points of connection between the modern skeletal assessment, a series of 1980s excavations, and the motivations of eighteenth-century tavern inhabitants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the first investigation of animal remains unearthed from the Late Ottoman occupation at Mardin fortress, a military stronghold in Anatolian–Syrian frontier under Ottoman rule. The analysis produced 4234 specimens and carried out taxonomic identification, species diversity, kill-off patterns, and nature of bone modification, including those of taphonomic and cultural marks. Being the first zooarchaeological study of an Ottoman occupation in southeastern Anatolia, the results add vital information to the paucity of archaeological knowledge of life and dietary habits of regional Ottoman elite soldiers, and offer a glimpse into the local pastoralism and wildlife of that time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a new synthesis of perforated fish vertebrae in prehistoric and historic Europe, with a particular focus on Poland, within the broader context of Central and Eastern Europe. The earliest examples of such artefacts in Europe date from the Upper Palaeolithic, but compared to other 'beads' manufactured from animal bone, perforated fish vertebrae are rare. This paper examines the diachronic trends in the range of species that have been chosen for such objects, as well as their depositional contexts. Despite the wide range of freshwater and marine species exploited by people, only the vertebrae of a few species—especially pike and catfish—were selected for use as beads. There is a general shift from their deposition in funerary contexts in prehistoric European societies to their association as low‐status objects associated with Christian private devotion in the post‐conversion period. However, this may not reflect continuity in the use of fish vertebrae, with a shift in their symbolism after the conversion to Christianity, given the substantial chronological gaps in the archaeological record. This synthesis nonetheless provides a solid foundation for contextualising future archaeological finds of such artefacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a meta-analysis of biometrical data of cattle (Bos taurus), sheep (Ovis aries), and pig (Sus domesticus), with a diachronic, long-term approach (first–twelfth centuries AD) and at a large regional scale (Switzerland and adjacent areas of France), with the aim of looking at changes in animal husbandry during the transition between Roman times and the Early Middle Ages. With this in mind, a comprehensive biometrical analysis is carried out, on the basis of the log-ratio technique (or logarithmic size index — LSI). The results show an increase of the size of domesticates during the Late Roman period, as well as a long period of size decrease in the subsequent centuries. The possible reasons behind this size decrease are discussed, focusing on three factors: a genetic change, less direct control over feeding and breeding, and changing patterns of herd sex ratios. We argue that these changes should be seen as an efficient adaptation of animal husbandry strategies to broader social, economic, and political transformations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses interdisciplinary methods to investigate responses to the Little Ice Age in regions where livestock farming was dominant, a neglected subject due to the scarcity of detailed written records regarding pastoral land use. It argues that landscape-level histories which include pollen evidence and archaeology can address this challenge and reveal local processes of climate adaptation. Here we focus on Ireland and Scotland and a fascinating rise in small-scale cereal cultivation on upland pastures during the Little Ice Age. Bayesian modeling is used to test the chronological resolution of field evidence and compare it with climate reconstructions. We can see that the cultivation emerged in late medieval times, when cattle were facing climate-related stresses, and increased in early modern times during the Little Ice Age's main phase. We suggest that it started in an indirect adaptation to climate change, supplementing supplies of food and fodder for pastoralists, but increased as rural populations and external market demands grew. There is a need for finer temporal resolution in pollen records and archaeology, as well as greater integration with socio-economic history, if we are to be more certain about changes in the relative significance of climate in pastoral land use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Nenjiang River Basin, located in the northern part of Northeast China, is an important cultural region that has attracted much attention from academic communities. Previous studies demonstrated that hunting and gathering always dominate the subsistence for prehistoric populations in this region. Herein, we further investigate the evolution of dietary and economic strategies in the Late Neolithic and Bronze Age occupations at the recently excavated Honghe site of the Nenjiang River Basin by means of a multidisciplinary approach incorporating zooarchaeological and stable isotope analysis. The results of zooarchaeological approaches indicate that the Honghe populations rely extensively on hunting and fishing during the Late Neolithic (4500–4000 cal BP), consistent with the results of previous studies. Interestingly, by the Bronze Age (3100–2400 cal BP), animal husbandry develops as one main economic strategy, corresponding to the probable decline of hunting and fishing, which is different from the previous reports. In addition, based on the results of stable isotopic approaches, C3 plants are always prominent diets for animals and humans from the Late Neolithic to the Bronze Age, which signifies that crop agriculture does not appear to have been of primary importance during either of these eras, in contrast to the C4 agricultural tradition formed in the Neolithic Age of the southern part of Northeast China. The findings of this paper shed some more light on the evolution of human subsistence strategies in the Nenjiang River Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Early Bronze Age (3500–2000 bce) of the southern Levant experienced the development of bronze metal technology, but the rate and nature of its dissemination beyond the elite are unclear. In the southern Levant and elsewhere, based upon the microscopic analysis of butchering marks, it has been proposed that bronze slicing tools only begin to be used in quantities in the Middle Bronze. However, previous analyses have always lacked data sets from the Early Bronze IV/Middle Bronze I period (c. 2500–2000 bce). In this paper, we present the butchered animal bone data from the site of Tall Zirā´a (in the NW corner of Jordan) where there is a fuller chronological sequence for the Early and Middle Bronze Ages. These data provide a unique opportunity to investigate long-term changes in butchering practices in the southern Levant. The analysis demonstrates that the new (bronze) technology does not seem to be integrated into quotidian activities, such as the processing of animal carcasses, until well into the Middle Bronze Age (MB IIB). Until then, and in subsequent phases of the MB, the majority of butchering marks are made by stone implements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper is focused on the comparative zooarchaeological analysis of one of the Russian medieval strongholds. Animal bones originating from the sediments of the Tver stronghold (Tver Kremlin), accumulated over the period of its existence (12‐18th centuries), are analysed. The composition and nature of the bones of animals from Tver Kremlin correspond in general to those from strongholds of other medieval cities of Russia's forest zone. The basic set of bones and characteristics of animals from the Tver Kremlin are similar to bones and animals from medieval Tver town. At the same time, some features characterize the Tver Kremlin as a status place. The paper provides the first chronological breakdown of the substantial zooarchaeological assemblages from the excavations at Tver. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to characterise the modifications caused by the Pampas fox (Lycalopex gymnocercus) to the bones and teeth of its prey in the Espinal and Dry Chaco environments, in central Argentina. Plant remains, invertebrate remains, and vertebrate bones and teeth were recovered from a set of more than 180 faeces. From an actualistic perspective, we evaluated the taphonomic signature of this predator in the remains of snakes, birds and mammals recovered in its faeces. We achieved a high rate of taxonomical identification and recovered remains of exotic and native fauna, such as Ovis aries and Lagostomus maximus, respectively. The most remarkable aspects recorded in this taphonomic study were a high frequency of breakage, a low frequency of tooth marks (only observed in large prey), and a high frequency and intensity of digestion damage. The information generated in this study contributes to the evaluations of accumulating agents in archaeological and palaeontological sites of South America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integral study of micromammals recovered from archaeological contexts provides a number of contributions to the understanding of the dynamics of human occupation. In this paper, based on a comprehensive study of Holocene and actualistic samples from central Argentina, we discuss the taphonomic and paleoenvironmental implications in sites with hunter-gatherer occupations. The sequence studied (ca. 1500–4500 BP) indicates the presence of natural predators (i.e. nocturnal and diurnal birds of prey) as responsible for the formation of the assemblage, ruling out, so far, the participation of human groups. On the other hand, the taxonomic composition of the preterite and actualistic assemblages shows a process of advancement of shrubland and forest environments at the expense of the decrease of open environments, grassland and fresh water contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identification of archeological fish remains requires the use of comparative reference materials, generally in the form of disarticulated fish skeletons. Photographic or illustrative atlases provide an additional resource for the analysis of fish remains. Photographic resources exist for many marine species and for specific geographic regions, whereas freshwater European species have not been covered in great detail. Here, we present a photographic atlas for the bones of freshwater and migratory fish commonly recovered from archeological sites in Central Europe, alongside a discussion of the difficulties and considerations for the analysis of freshwater fish remains. The atlas also highlights the morphological similarity of many species and the interpretive limits of freshwater fish assemblages. The atlas aims to act as an accessible and user‐friendly resource, which can be used for basic identification purposes when access to physical collections is not possible, to supplement pre‐existing collections, or for training purposes. This paper acts as a platform from which the full atlas can be downloaded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to try to determine the probable cause of the disease from which the study animal suffered. The skeletal material included a caudal fragment of a cattle mandible. The specimen, exhibiting chronic disease was separated from approximately 10,000 early medieval cattle remains discovered during excavations of the former Kruszwica stronghold. The bone was underwent macroscopic, radiological and histopathological examination. Location, macroscopic, microscopic and X-ray images of the lesions within the examined mandible indicate it could have been caused by the actinomycosis. In the face of infection, no effective therapies were undertaken in the Middle Ages. Descriptions of lumpy jaw in the paleopathological literature are rare. This disease, due to its background and course, eliminated animals from breeding for centuries until the era of antibiotics. The case described in our paper is in an advanced stage, but its adult age suggests that efforts were possibly made to keep the cow alive as long as possible, indicating the significant economic importance of the animal. This analysis is limited by the absence of other anatomical elements of the affected animal, which impacts the interpretation of the palaeopathological bone. It is recommended that similar studies are conducted on better preserved and more numerous cattle assemblages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While a finding of pig remains has often been regarded in Iron Age archaeological studies as an indication of the inhabitants' identity, several recent zooarchaeological studies have shown that the archaeological record is more complex, and that pig remains cannot serve as an identity marker. The textual evidence analyzed in this paper supports this direction and suggests a multistage development process leading up to various expressions of the pig taboo in ancient Israelite belief. While in the Pentateuch pigs are mentioned alongside other impure animals and are not accorded excessive impurity amongst them, the textual sources indicate that pigs received a special status and became an identity marker only from the Greco-Roman period onwards. This paper also shows that during this period even the word "pig" became taboo in certain instances, as seen from three texts preserved in LXX of Samuel-Kings (1–4 Kingdoms) but missing from MT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of the Institute of Latvian History / Latvijas Vēstures Institūta Žurnāls is the property of University of Latvia, Institute of Latvian History and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Mundo de Antes is the property of Revista Mundo de Antes and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Reindeer are the only domestic cervid and have formed the cosmologies and practical daily lives of numerous peoples in the Northern Hemisphere for thousands of years. The questions of when, how, and where reindeer domestication originated and how it developed remain one of the scientific enigmas of our time. The practice of reindeer castration is an essential feature of all communities practicing reindeer herding today. It has probably been one of the most important interventions in the reindeer’s life cycle and biology that marked the start of domesticating human-reindeer relationships long ago. Castration is and has been essential for reindeer taming, control, training, herd management, and ritual practices. Unsuitably, to this present day, there are no methods zooarchaeologists can employ to distinguish a reindeer gelding from a reindeer bull in the archaeological record. In this current paper, we outline a new method that presents the possibility of differentiating between full males, castrated males, and females based on osteometric features. We measured the leg bones and pelvis of the complete or partial skeletons of 97 adult modern domestic reindeer individuals to determine the precise effects castration has on skeletal size and morphology. We explored our osteometric dataset with different statistical methods. We found a clear separation of the two male groups in the radioulna, humerus, and femur but in the tibia and metapodials to a lesser extent. Osteometric depth and width were generally more affected than the longitudinal axis. Females were easily distinguishable from castrates and full males based on nearly every bone measurement. Our analysis shows that reindeer castration can be proven through osteometric analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Archaeological research at Ojców castle has yielded important information about life in that medieval castle. The results of zooarchaeological analyses presented in this paper complement the archaeological research, adding to our knowledge of the diet of the castle inhabitants from the time of establishment of the castle until the final residents. Zooarchaeological research is also complemented by data from older settlement phases on the castle hill, directly related to the Lusatian culture in the early Iron Age. The great variability of remains from mammals, birds, and fish and the taphonomic features of bones found in the different chronological strata of the castle's courtyard reflect the diverse economic activities that took place in particular times and spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb / Vjesnik Arheološkog Muzeja u Zagrebu is the property of Archaeological Museum in Zagreb and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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This paper presents the result of recent zooarchaeological analyses from the excavations of Elbistan Karahöyük in Southeast Turkey. Zooarchaeological data have been evaluated into conventional methods of analysis. This has contributed to better understanding of the local diet, consumption preferences, and Iron Age subsistence strategies. In addition, animal bone studies provide information about socio politic and economic alterations. After the collapse of Hittite Empire, it is known that the social and economic changes but as yet in order to see whether there is any evidence from Karahöyük that to show a major changes or recognition of the animal economy during the Iron Ages. Excavations undertaken at Karahöyük 2017- 2018-2019 have yielded 2,212 identified animal bone remains from the Iron Age levels (Early, Middle, and Late Iron Ages). The material consists mainly of domestic livestock (sheep, goat, cattle, and pig), dogs, equids (horse, donkey) and minor number of wild mammals (wolf, fox, hare, badger, and birds) presented in faunal assemblage as well. Skeletal element distribution, dental age profile and the fusion stages are generated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the Viking era and the Middle Ages, in the Baltic Sea area, the remains of alien animal species are found rarely but recurrently. These species, which were previously widely distributed in other regions, were originally considered "exotic" by the local people of the Baltic Sea region. Conversely, "exotic" was also used to describe the last local specimens of those indigenous species that had become very rare over time. Other categories of exotic animals can be defined: the first specimens of domesticated animals seen in an area, and mythical species whose existence was generally, but erroneously, assumed. In the present paper, the evidence of selected exotic species in the Baltic Sea area is analyzed with regard to both their cultural–historical and ecological significance. Many exotic specimens were used for social and hierarchical display, illustrating the individual's sophistication and broad knowledge of the world, their wealth, and their supra-regional influence. As a result, before Christianization, these species became part of burial rites. At the same time, some of these species became or were already integral parts of the fauna of the Baltic Sea region. Some newly immigrated species were welcomed by the people, while others were considered pests. "New", initially exotic, species formed the basis for the purely anthropogenic urban ecosystems that emerged during this period. Meanwhile, other, formerly common, species had become "exotic" because of their increasing rarity; when they became extinct, they left significant gaps in the biocoenoses wherein they were interconnected. These ecological effects, as well as some of the socio-cultural characteristics of exotic species, find parallels in modern times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Kiva is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper aims to assess the etiology and differential diagnosis of severe pathological lesions in wild and domestic cattle from the Late Neolithic site of At‐Vršac in the northeast part of the present‐day Serbia. Excavations of this multilayered site revealed the remains of a Late Neolithic settlement belonging to the Vinča culture network of the Central Balkans. An aurochs metacarpal bone, two domestic cattle fragments of fused ulna and radius and of tibia, all with massive bone proliferations were recovered during the archaeological excavations in 1976. Paleopathological study was undertaken using an interdisciplinary approach, including AMS dating, radiography, computed tomography (CT), and histopathology. The results show severe oblique healed fracture with secondary pronounced bone reaction in the aurochs metacarpal bone and in the domestic cattle ulna–radius, while traumatic alteration infected with disseminated osteomyelitis was found in the domestic cattle tibia. These pathologies of wild and domestic cattle are discussed to reveal the level of environmental and human influence on the origin and development of the lesions in the Late Neolithic cattle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Kiva is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the past, experimental research into the histomorphological examination of burned human bone has led to the creation of a criterion for assessing burning intensity, which can be used to infer firing conditions in both archaeological and forensic contexts. Current methods visually compare the microscopic alterations in burned bone with modern bone samples fired at known temperatures and durations. Despite the benefits of this approach, it is hindered by the use of qualitative analysis, which is subject to the expertise of the examiner. This paper reviews previous histomorphological studies of burned bone and presents a new protocol for producing burned bone thin sections. It also introduces quantitative petrography as an alternative statistical method for categorising burning intensity. Four categories of burning intensity were calculated based on the quantified heat‐induced changes identified in a pilot study examining burned porcine bone. These categories were consistent with those produced using more traditional qualitative methods, demonstrating that the results produced in this pilot study are reliable. An interobserver study showed the repeatability of this new method by both anthropologists and non‐anthropologists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The Historic England Zooarchaeology Reference Collection includes more than 3470 mammal, bird, amphibian, reptile and fish specimens, the majority of which are complete skeletons. It comprises important research collections that support internal, national and international projects, and is being continuously developed, mainly through in-house specimen preparation. The collection is housed in different locations at Fort Cumberland, an eighteenth-century military monument, and is therefore subject to varying environmental conditions, requiring tailored curation. This paper reports on an audit of the collection carried out in December 2016, in response to a perceived increase in the presence of insects, mould and grease, and the subsequent actions taken. The audit involved visual assessment and condition recording of each accessioned specimen. New specialist storage solutions were then implemented as part of the on-going collection curation, within the context of an integrated pest management strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Archaeologists do not always differentiate between human activities, practices and techniques within landscape archaeology. This problem is reflected in some research into the development of pastoralism in the Alps. Here, we develop a framework within a “position paper” that engages with these different processes by assessing recent developments in bioarchaeological and palaeoenvironmental methods. Over the last two decades, alpine research has moved beyond the mere characterisation of human activities toward the classification and interpretation of specific practices and techniques, changing how we study the development of alpine pastoralism. Research into the development of mid-/long-distance transhumance from the Provencal plains to the Western Alps has generated considerable interest over the last 20 years. Therefore, the PATHWAy (Pastoralism, TransHumance in the Western Alps) project focuses on studying the Iron Age to Medieval pastoral systems in the Western Alps and south-eastern France, which is today one of the main regions in Europe where transhumant pastoralism still takes place. Finally, this contribution aims to review how bioarchaeological methods, combined with “cultural” archaeology, inform detailed quotidian aspects of lifeways rather than impactful, mediatised generalising statements, such as mass population movements or simplistic generalisations about past diet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]