HUMAN AND ANIMAL BONES

ARC5BON

Not currently offered

Credit points: 15

Subject outline

Understanding the interaction between people and animals is vital for explaining past social, political and economic systems from the earliest times to the present day. Morphological changes occur within long-term climatic cycles and therefore we need to understand the processes that influence the trajectory of skeletal change. In addition to this people and animals undergo changes to their skeleton from disease, nutrition, work load, environmental stress and domestication. This information is gleaned from studying a range of different zooarchaeological contexts. These include burials and cemeteries, middens, cave and bony remains from other well-preserved sites. Techniques of analysis for interpreting health, diet, butchery practices, seasonal exploitation, ageing and sex of skeletal remains will be a focus of this subject, as well as the use of quantitative techniques. This subject has a strong practical element and students will learn about the main animal species found archaeologically in southeastern Australia.

School: School of Humanities & Social Sciences

Credit points: 15

Subject Co-ordinator: Richard Cosgrove

Available to Study Abroad Students: Yes

Subject year level: Year Level 5 - Masters

Exchange Students: Yes

Subject particulars

Subject rules

Prerequisites: Must be enrolled in Master of Professional Archaeology or with the subject Coordinator's approval.

Co-requisites: N/A

Incompatible subjects: ARC2ZOO

Equivalent subjects: N/A

Special conditions: N/A

Learning resources

Readings

Resource Type	Title	Resource Requirement	Author and Year	Publisher
Readings	Zooarchaeology	Prescribed	Reitz, E. and Wing, E.	CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS
Readings	Archaeology of animals.	Recommended	Davis, S.	ROUTLEDGE, 2005
Readings	Australian Zooarchaeology	Recommended	LUNA-Insight image database: www.lib.latrobe.edu.au	LA TROBE UNIVERSITY
Readings	The archaeology of animal bones	Recommended	O'Connor, T	SUTTON, 2000

Graduate capabilities & intended learning outcomes

01. Identify major differences between faunal remains and discuss theoretical approaches to zooarchaeological analysis

Activities:: one 1-hour examination
Related graduate capabilities and elements:: Literacies and Communication Skills(Writing,Speaking,Quantitative Literacy,Cultural Literacy); Literacies and Communication Skills(Writing,Speaking,Quantitative Literacy,Cultural Literacy); Inquiry and Analytical Skills(Critical Thinking,Creative Problem-solving,Inquiry/Research); Inquiry and Analytical Skills(Critical Thinking,Creative Problem-solving,Inquiry/Research); Discipline -Specific Knowledge and Skills(Discipline-Specific Knowledge and Skills)

02. Use archaeological materials such as bones and reference animal skeletons to compile a large database. Use statistics to compare and contrast these assemblages

Activities:: one 1,000-word workshop presentation
Related graduate capabilities and elements:: Literacies and Communication Skills(Writing,Speaking,Quantitative Literacy,Cultural Literacy); Literacies and Communication Skills(Writing,Speaking,Quantitative Literacy,Cultural Literacy); Literacies and Communication Skills(Writing,Speaking,Quantitative Literacy,Cultural Literacy); Inquiry and Analytical Skills(Critical Thinking,Creative Problem-solving,Inquiry/Research); Inquiry and Analytical Skills(Critical Thinking,Creative Problem-solving,Inquiry/Research); Discipline -Specific Knowledge and Skills(Discipline-Specific Knowledge and Skills)

03. Write a major report using Harvard referencing system and a range of journal articles

Activities:: one 3,000-word field work report
Related graduate capabilities and elements:: Literacies and Communication Skills(Writing,Speaking,Quantitative Literacy,Cultural Literacy); Literacies and Communication Skills(Writing,Speaking,Quantitative Literacy,Cultural Literacy); Inquiry and Analytical Skills(Critical Thinking,Creative Problem-solving,Inquiry/Research); Inquiry and Analytical Skills(Critical Thinking,Creative Problem-solving,Inquiry/Research); Personal and Professional Skills(Teamwork including leadership and working in groups,Ethical behaviour); Discipline -Specific Knowledge and Skills(Discipline-Specific Knowledge and Skills)

04. Submit multiple choice questions to the PeerView website that demonstrate reserach abilities and thoughful responses to peer reviewers

Activities:: Submit 10 multiple choice questions
Related graduate capabilities and elements:: Literacies and Communication Skills(Writing,Speaking,Quantitative Literacy,Cultural Literacy); Inquiry and Analytical Skills(Critical Thinking,Creative Problem-solving,Inquiry/Research); Inquiry and Analytical Skills(Critical Thinking,Creative Problem-solving,Inquiry/Research); Inquiry and Analytical Skills(Critical Thinking,Creative Problem-solving,Inquiry/Research); Personal and Professional Skills(Teamwork including leadership and working in groups,Ethical behaviour); Personal and Professional Skills(Teamwork including leadership and working in groups,Ethical behaviour); Discipline -Specific Knowledge and Skills(Discipline-Specific Knowledge and Skills)

Subject not currently offered - Subject options not available.