Session: #77

Content:

In recent years, much progress has been made in the study of human-animal relations. By de-centring the human, animals have become much more prominent in archaeological studies. In addition to this, advancements in isotope analysis have helped us understand the role of many animals in the past. Finally, archaeologists have come to realize that animals were not always subordinate to human rule; that many animals in the past were social beings alongside humans, and that they have more agency than previously assumed.
Before these developments, however, human-animal relations needed to be inferred primarily from their positioning, quantity, taphonomy, and location within archaeological sites. In fact, much of what we know about human-animal relations stems precisely from onsite analysis. Whether it is funerary structures with both human and animal burials, collective structures which contain animal comingled with human remains, the intentional burial of animals, ritual meat offerings, or the deposition of feasting remains, there is still much to understand about the status and role of animals. Furthermore, much of this understanding relies on the knowledge of what is an intentional (or structured) deposition and what is a secondary deposition, or even what “waste” meant to past people.
The aim of this session is to combine both the study of animal-human relations as they appear onsite and what they tell us from lab work, independently of chronology. Overall, we intend to uncover animal-human relations in a holistic manner, demonstrating that human-animal affinity covers the entire spectrum of natural, economic, and social relationships.

Session: #77

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