OVERVIEW

Zooarchaeology is the discipline that studies the remains of animal species found in archaeological excavations, re-reading the history of animal remains.

Its ultimate purpose is to determine the animal species with which man has interacted from prehistoric times to the recent past, reconstructing their use as food, or in the social and ritual fields.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course of Archeozoology covers the study and the identification of animal remains in an archeological context

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the course, the student will be able to:

1 – describe the definitions of species, phylogeny and taxonomy.

2 - describe basically the animal taxonomy, with a focus on groups that are archeologically interesting (e.g. mollusks, vertebrates).

3 - describe basically the structure and the chemical composition of animal tissues and secretions of interest (e.g. shells, skeletons, skin appendages).

4 - describe, using appropriate language, the skeleton of vertebrates, with a focus on birds and mammals and invertebrates.

5 - apply the acquired knowledge to analyse and identify skeletal parts from domestic or from local fauna mammals.

6 – apply morphometric and statistical techniques used to characterize animal remains found in an archaeological context.

7 – understand the range of use of 3D analytical techniques, such as tomography and photogrammetric reconstruction, applied to skeletal remains.

PREREQUISITES

No prerequisite is required

TEACHING METHODS

The course is constituted by 40 hours of frontal theoretical lessons, delivered through multimedia presentations, and by 8 hours of practical activities, such as remains recognition and morphometric analysis. Lesson attending is not mandatory, although it’s strongly recommended. No field activity is planned.

The course is in presence. News and variations, due to possible sanitary and epidemiological situation, will be communicated through AulaWeb.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The course syllabus regards the following subjects:

1. Definition and field of study of Zooarchaeology
2. Animal systematic and species definition
3. Molecular data and phylogenetic reconstructions
4. History of human-animal interactions (hunting, domestication, and breeding)
5. Vertebrate skeleton: nomenclature, anatomy, structure and function
6. Invertebrate skeleton: nomenclature, structure and function
7. Analysis of the main vertebrate and invertebrate species found in archaeological contexts
8. Human use of animal remains (skeletal parts, horns, tendons, and shells)
9. Animal remains’ analyses in excavation contest
10. Animal remains’ analyses in laboratory (quantification, age and sex recognition)
11. Osteometry and main statistical and morphometric techniques applied to the skeletal remains analysis
12. Practical recognition of animal remains
13. Practical activities of morphometry (measure and statistical analysis)
14. Analysis of historical collection with special focus on Ligurian findings.

The non-attending students are kindly requested to contact the professors for further details and to arrange the exam schedule.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

No specific textbook is needed. All the material necessary for learning is contained in the Power Point presentations that will be provided during the course. However, we indicate as supplementary material the following text books:

Jacopo de Grossi Mazzorin (2008) Archeozoologia. Lo studio dei resti animali in archeologia. Editori Laterza.

Juliet Clutton Brock (2017) Storia naturale della domesticazione dei mammiferi. Bollati Boringhieri.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

SARA FERRANDO (President)

STEFANO SCHIAPARELLI (President Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

Thursday, March 6th, 2025 (3:00 PM)

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam is oral and consists in a series of questions that will be aimed at assessing the student’s knowledge regarding the basic elements of the matter, the ability to connect different topics, the knowledge and recognition of animal remains.

News and variations, due to sanitary and epidemiological situation, will be communicated through AulaWeb.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Details on how to prepare for the exam and the amount of details required for each topic are provided during the lessons. The non-attending students are encouraged to contact the professors to obtain information regarding the assessment procedures.

The oral exam will focus on the topics covered during the lectures. The ability of the candidate in presenting arguments clearly and with correct terminology will also be assessed.

Exam schedule

FURTHER INFORMATION

Regular course attending is strongly recommended