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10 - Vertebrate Zooarchaeology

from Part IV - Environmental Archaeology

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 December 2019

By
Beth Upex  and
Keith Dobney
Edited by
Michael P. Richards  and
Kate Britton
Michael P. Richards
Affiliation:
Simon Fraser University, British Columbia
Kate Britton
Affiliation:
University of Aberdeen
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Summary

Our relationship with animals has a long and complex history, one that is as important today as in the past. However, while most of us interact with domesticated animals (and their by-products) daily, we rarely give this complex relationship (or its history) a second thought. We put milk or yoghurt on our breakfast cereal, eat cheese (and perhaps ham) sandwiches as snacks and consider roast chicken as a treat for Sunday lunch. Most of us wear shoes or other clothes made from animal products and sleep under down duvets. We take our dogs for walks, stroke (or chase away from our gardens) the neighbour’s cat (whilst likely getting bitten by its fleas!), and – if we’re very lucky – ride horses for pleasure. Our interactions with animals are not, however, always positive. Whilst we might encourage songbirds to our gardens by feeding them, we’re less keen on sharing our living spaces with those animals considered pests, who can spread disease and (if given the opportunity) spoil our stored foods.

Type
Chapter
Information
Archaeological Science
An Introduction
 , pp. 215 - 232
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

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