Human-Animal Interactions (P01175)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 11 ? Acronym : ACE-P-P01175

People and certain animals have always lived in close interaction with each other. The empirical study of human and animal bones from archaeological sites is thus not a self-serving enterprise. All those data should be understood in terms of how humans treated their animals and how both related to their natural and cultural environments. Attitudes to animals differ between hunter-gatherers, early farmers and urban populations. Similarly, religious or ethnic differences in the treatment of animals may likewise be observed, especially in later periods. All these phenomena reveal important information on ancient culture and society. The course will cover a range of periods from Palaeolithic to post-Medieval, and a variety of cultures and geographical areas.

Entry Requirements

none

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Archaeology, (School of Arts, Culture and Environment, Schedule A)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : Postgraduate

? Delivery Period : Semester 1 (Blocks 1-2)

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 10 weeks

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

-A basic understanding of patterning in excavated animal remains
-An ability to interpret such patterning both in terms of consumption and its cognitive implications
-An understanding of culturally idiosiyncratic attitudes toward animals as expressed by zooarchaeological data
-An critical synthesis of this information with its respective archaeological context