c1447d0d_Americans_Prehistoric_Glossary__e_and_or_used_by_human_beings_
[Anthropology] Archaeozoology
Zoology is the study of animals. Archaeozoology is a specialized type of zoology in which scientists study animal bones from sites excavated by archaeologists. Animal bones are often found where people once lived. Archaeologists recover bones and bone fragments by sieving dirt through fine-mesh screen wire. Archaeologists identify bones by comparing the size and shape of each with modern specimens in a comparative collection. Using these identifications, archaeozoologists learn about past environment, human diet, and other uses of animals such as the making of bone tools. In turn, they learn more about ancient life, such as hunting strategies and butchering practices. For example, if archaeologists find only certain white-tailed deer bones at a site, they may conclude that the animal was butchered elsewhere. By leaving behind unwanted parts, such as leg bones, feet, and head, transporting the meat back to the village was made easier. Information from the archaeozoologist is combined with that of other scientists to develop a more complete picture of the past.
Native Americans:Prehistoric:Glossary
Anthropology is the study of origins of human beings and their cultures worldwide. In addition to documenting a particular culture, anthropologists are interested in how and why human culture changes. The science of anthropology is divided into several subfields including physical anthropology, the study of the origins and development of human beings; cultural anthropology, the study of human culture or the means by which human beings sustain life; linguistics, the study of human language; and archaeology, the study of human life based primarily on the recovery of artifacts, objects made and/or used by human beings.