Where are the wolves? Investigating the scarcity of European grey wolf (Canis lupus lupus) remains in medieval archaeological contexts and its implications
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7809744 |
|---|---|
| Authors | A Pluskowski (0000-0002-4494-7664, University of Cambridge, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2006 |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 279-295 |
| Publication date | 2006-07-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Osteoarchaeology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1047-482X • E-ISSN: 1099-1212 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1002/oa.824 |
| OpenAlex | W2113138953 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 13 |
| References cited | 28 |
The wolf is thought to have been abundant in many parts of medieval Europe, but its remains are rarely identified in archaeological contexts. One of the potential reasons for this is the problem of distinguishing between the skeletal elements of wolves and dogs, accentuated by poor preservation and fragmentation. This paper reviews the extent of this problem, exploring the morphological relationships between wolves and dogs, as well as the issue of hybridisation, and goes on to suggest how the scarcity of wolf remains may in fact reflect infrequent hunting. This is illustrated with a comparative regional case study of wolf hunting and commercial exploitation in medieval England and southern Scandinavia, synthesising archaeological and written sources. The paper concludes with an optimistic appraisal of the value of wolf remains in medieval archaeological contexts for a broader understanding of relations between humans and wolves in the medieval period. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Archaeology · Biology · Canis · Ethnology · Geography · Gray wolf · Scarcity · Systemic lupus erythematosus · Geographies of human-animal interactions · History · Human-Animal Interaction Studies · Wildlife Ecology and Conservation · Ecology
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| Unique citing works | 13 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,72 |
| Citation span | 2008 - 2025 (18) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 11 |