Zooarchaeology and taphonomic analyses

Zooarchaeology is the discipline that studies the interaction between people and animals in past societies by analysing the remains animal bones found in archaeological contexts.

It allows us to obtain knowledge, not only about the animals, but also about the communities that brought them to the settlement, either through domestication or hunting. They were kept for food or as pets and we can also see how their remains −meat, bones, antlers, hides, teeth, shells, etc.− were used.

The marks on the animal bones resulting from human handling are subjected to taphonomic analysis. This allows us to identify everything that happened to them once the animal had died; whether they were buried, cut up, bitten or gnawed on by people or other animals or whether they were carved to make tools and utensils, etc.