THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2021/2022

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of History, Classics and Archaeology : Archaeology

Undergraduate Course: The archaeology of animal remains (ARCA10084)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of History, Classics and Archaeology CollegeCollege of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits20 ECTS Credits10
SummaryThe aim of this course is to introduce students to the study of animal remains from archaeological sites, covering practical aspects, analytical methods, data acquisition, and interpretative potential. Students will receive instruction in comparative skeletal anatomy and will gain practical experience identifying and analysing vertebrate remains. They will develop understanding of the ways in which animal remains can contribute to the study of archaeological sites and past human societies, with case studies drawn from diverse global regions and periods to illustrate techniques and major debates in zooarchaeology.
Course description This course introduces students to the study of animal remains from archaeological sites. Students will be introduced to the key zooarchaeological methods applied to animal remains, from their excavation to laboratory analysis and data interpretation. Students will receive instruction in comparative skeletal anatomy and will gain practical experience identifying and analysing vertebrate remains. They will develop understanding of the ways in which animal remains can contribute to the study of archaeological sites and past human societies, for example through studies of taphonomy, environmental reconstruction and modes of human exploitation of animals, and be able to evaluate the nature and quality of this evidence. Case studies will be drawn from diverse global regions and periods to illustrate techniques and major debates in the subject, and demonstrate key insights into the evolution of human-animal relationships through zooarchaeological study.

Provisional Syllabus:

1. Introduction: zooarchaeology and vertebrate anatomy
2. Classification and identification of animal remains
3. Excavation, sampling and recovery
4. Recording and quantification
5. The development of the mammal skeleton: bone and tooth growth
6. Metrics and morphology: analyses of bone size and shape
7. Taphonomy and understanding contexts and sites
8. Animal disease and pathology
9. Environment and ecology
10. Identification of non-mammal remains
11. Animal remains and interdisciplinary scientific approaches (followed by identification test)
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements Pre-requisites: Archaeology 2A and 2B, or Honours entry to degrees in Classics, or equivalent.
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesVisiting students should have at least 3 Archaeology courses at grade B or above (or be predicted to obtain this). We will only consider University/College level courses. Enrolments for this course are managed by the CAHSS Visiting Student Office, in line with the quotas allocated by the department. All enquiries to enrol must be made through the CAHSS Visiting Student Office. It is not appropriate for students to contact the department directly to request additional spaces.
High Demand Course? Yes
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2021/22, Available to all students (SV1) Quota:  9
Course Start Semester 2
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 200 ( Lecture Hours 11, Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 22, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 163 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) Coursework:
1,500 word Critique of a selected zooarchaeological methodology (35%)
2,500 Written zooarchaeological report (65%)
Feedback Students will receive written feedback on their coursework, and will have the opportunity to discuss that feedback further with the Course Organisers during their published office hours or by appointment.

Ongoing informal feedback will be given on lab books (not assessed) during practical sessions to give students guidance on best practice and develop understanding to feedforward into their assessed work (critique and report).
No Exam Information
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Demonstrate knowledge of analytical methods in zooarchaeology
  2. Demonstrate command of the body of knowledge considered in the course
  3. Demonstrate critical understanding of the issues surrounding the investigation and interpretation of past human-animal relationships
  4. Demonstrate the ability to assess zooarchaeological evidence and data and integrate it into wider archaeological analysis
Reading List
Albarella U and Trentacoste A (eds.) 2011, Ethnozooarchaeology. The present and past of human-animal relationships. Oxford: Oxbow Books.

Baker P and Worley F 2014, Animal Bones and Archaeology: Guidelines for Best Practice. Swindon; English Heritage.

Bartosiewicz L and Gál E 2013, Shuffling Nags, Lame Ducks: The Archaeology of Animal Disease. Oxford: Oxbow.

Davis S J M 1987, The archaeology of animals. London: Batsford.

Driver J C 2011, Identification, classification and zooarchaeology. Ethnobiology letters, 2, pp.19-39.

Lyman R L 1994, Vertebrate Taphonomy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

O'Connor T P 2000, The archaeology of animal bones. Stroud: Sutton.

O'Connor T P 2003, The analysis of urban animal bone assemblages: a handbook for archaeologists, The Archaeology of York 19,2, York.

Reitz E and Wing E 1999, Zooarchaeology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Rowley-Conwy P 2000, Animal Bones, Human Societies. Oxford: Oxbow Books

Russell N 2011, Social Zooarchaeology: Humans and Animals in Prehistory. Cambridge University Press.

Sykes N 2014, Beastly Questions: Animal Answers to Archaeological Issues. London: Bloomsbury Publishing.
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills On successful completion of the course, students should be able to:
- gather and critically assess relevant information
- extract key elements and meanings from complex data sets
- develop a reasoned argument, support it with relevant evidence, and communicate it appropriately and persuasively
- present their ideas and analyses in a coherent fashion
KeywordsArch animal remains
Contacts
Course organiserDr Robin Bendrey
Tel: (0131 6)50 9110
Email: Robin.Bendrey@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMrs Ksenia Gorlatova
Tel: (0131 6)50 8349
Email: Ksenia.Gorlatova@ed.ac.uk
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