Social zooarchaeology : humans and animals in prehistory / Nerissa Russell.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Russell, Nerissa, 1957-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Animal remains (Archaeology).

Human remains (Archaeology).

Social archaeology.

Human-animal relationships--History.

Human-animal relationships.

History.

Prehistoric peoples.

Physical Description:

xii, 548 pages ; 26 cm

Place of Publication:

Cambridge ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 2012 [that is, 2011]

Summary:

"This is the first book to provide an overview and systematic examination of social zooarchaeology, a new approach that takes a holistic veiw of human-animal relations in the past. Until very recently, zooarchaeology was heavily focused on diet and subsistence economy, especially for prehistoric periods. This book argues that animals have always played much broader roles in human societies: as wealth, companions, spirit helpers, socrificial victims, totems, centerpieces of feasts, and objects of taboos, and so on. Exploring the briader significance of ancient animals provides a richer ppicture of past societies, Even those primarily interested in utuilitarian aspects of animal use need to account for that social factors that shaped zooarchaeological assemblages as much as taphonomic processes"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Beyond protein and calories

Animal symbols

Animals in ritual

Hunting and humanity

Extinctions

Domestication as a human-animal relationship

Pets and other human-animal relationships

Animal wealth

Meat beyond diet

Studying human-animal relations.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 401-542) and index.

ISBN:

9780521767378

0521767377

9780521143110

052114311X

OCLC:

723723608