The use of non-morphological criteria in the study of animal domestication from bones found on archaeological sites

Bibliographic Data

ID23730965
AuthorsRaymond E Chaplin (corresponding author)
Year2017
Pages231-246
Publication date2017-07-12
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeCHAPTER
VenueDomestication and Exploitation of Plants and Animals (SOURCE_BOOK)
PublisherRoutledge (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.4324/9781315131825-20
OpenAlexW3110754746
ISBN9781315131825
LanguageEN
Citations received9

The morphological approach presupposes that changes produced by domestication will be reflected in the skeleton. Morphological changes which may be observed are not necessarily a result of domestication and it is therefore desirable that contemporary examples of wild species from the same region should be available to ascertain whether other factors may be involved. Even where sample size requirements are met, morphological criteria only permit the recognition of a late stage in the domestication story. The minimum number of animals may either be used alone or as a basis for further calculation depending on what aspects of species "importance" are being studied. Archaeologists commonly refer to the importance of a species without specifying what the animals were important for. Any sample of bones derived from a human occupation site does of course reflect some degree of human need. Certain needs and their consequences are however of particular relevance to domestication.

Archaeology · Biology · Domestication · Geography · Ecology · Meat and Animal Product Quality

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