ANTHRO 480/580: ZOOARCHAEOLOGY Fall, 2016
Instructor: Robert Losey
Office: Tory 13-‐8
Office Hours: Tues 1:00 to 3:00, or by appointment Phone: 492-‐2028
Email: [email protected] Course Website: Available on eClass
The primary goal of zooarchaeology is to better understand the relationships of humans and the environment, particularly people’s relationships with other animals.
This course explores topics in zooarchaeology through readings, lectures,
discussions, assignments, and laboratory projects. A typical class will consist of a lecture and discussion concerning assigned readings, followed by a laboratory session involving hands-‐on work with comparative specimens and archaeological samples. The class is designed to expose you to the basic elements of
zooarchaeology including: identification, quantification, taphonomy, bone
modification (cut marks, gnawing, burning), age and sex assessments, seasonality, and paleopathology. Some current theoretical trends in zooarchaeology also will be addressed. Macroscopic methods are emphasized here, but some microscopic and chemical techniques will be briefly covered. You will be exposed to a wide variety of taxa, from the largest mammals (bison, elk) to the smallest invertebrates (clams, mussels). However, this is NOT a course in comparative vertebrate or invertebrate anatomy, nor is this a course in human or non-‐human mammalian anatomy.
REQUIRED MATERIALS: All are available through UA libraries.
Distribution of course points:
30% Laboratory quizzes (3 total) 25% Writing assignment
5% Attendance and participation 40% Final exam
Determination of final grades
The grading system is composed of letter grades (A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D and F).
Laboratory Quizzes: Three short laboratory quizzes will be given during the term.
These will be bell-‐ringer exams that focus on basic anatomical terminology and identification. Each quiz will focus on the laboratory materials covered the previous week.
Writing Assignment: Undergraduate students are required to write a double-‐
spaced, 12 pt font, 10 page paper, not including references cited. The topic of the paper will be some aspect of zooarchaeological analysis or interpretation, and will be chosen in consultation with the instructor. Graduate students are required to write a paper, in the same format, but 20 pages in length. The papers should be very well written, illustrated with a few key tables and figures, and all citations must be in the American Antiquity style.
Attendance and Participation: It is very important that you attend each class. Roll will be taken every time. Actively participating is also crucial. This includes
participating in class discussions involving the readings and focusing on the lab work. Students who use class or lab time to discuss private issues or are distracting other students will not receive full marks for class participation and will be asked to cooperate or leave the classroom.
Final Exam: A comprehensive final written exam will be held on the assigned date at the end of the term. In conjunction with this exam will be a timed, station-‐based, bone exam. This exam will take the same format as that used in the laboratory quizzes.
SCHEDULE
Sept 1: Introduction, description of class format, and comparative collection
Sept 6: History of zooarch, terminology; READINGS: Reitz and Wing 2008:11-‐30
Sept 8: Mammal skull Lab; READINGS: browse Akers and Denbow 2008 and print and bring Mammal Skull handout
Sept 13: Basic taxonomy, identifying vertebrate remains; mammalian bone structure and growth; READINGS: Reitz and Wing 2008:31-‐44
Sept 15: Mammalian postcranial skeleton; READINGS: print and bring Mammal Postcranial handout
Sept 20: Zooarchaeology of Assemblages: primary data and quantification; READINGS:
Lyman 2008 pgs 27-‐82
Sept 23: Mammal dentition, dental and postcranial variation; READINGS: print and bring Mammal Dentition handout
Sept 27: Habitual activity, bone functional adaptation, pathology; READINGS: Taylor et al.
2015; Shackelford et al. 2013; Salmi and Niinimäki 2016
Sept 29: Mammal bone QUIZ; Fish lab; FOR LAB: print and bring Skeleton of Fish handout
Oct 4: Taphonomy and recovery; READINGS: English Heritage 2014; Stiner 2008 Oct 6: Fish bone QUIZ; Bird lab; FOR LAB: print and bring Skeleton of Birds
Oct 11: Foraging Theories; READINGS: Bird and Bliege-‐Bird 2000; Wolverton et al. 2011 Oct 13: Bird bone QUIZ; hands-‐on laboratory work
Oct 18: WRITING ASSIGNMENT DUE; Bone modification; READINGS: Fisher 1995 Oct 20: Bone modification lab
Oct 25: Animal behavior, human preference; READINGS: Brink 2008:37-‐70 Oct 27: Hands-‐on laboratory work
Nov 1: Season of Death; Trauma; READINGS: Pike-‐Tay and Cosgrove 2002; Losey et al. 2014 Nov 3: Hands-‐on laboratory work
Nov 8 and 10: NO CLASS FALL BREAK
Nov 15: Secondary data: age, sex, body size, biomass; Losey et al. 2016; Tomé and Vigne 2003
Nov 17: Ageing and sexing lab; print and bring Caribou Ageing and Sexing handout
Nov 22: Domestication; READINGS: Larson et al. 2012; Zeder 2006
Nov 24: Hands-‐on dog and wolf skeleton projects; print and bring Dog handout
Nov 29: Body part representation, transport; READINGS: Lupo 2001; Lyman 2008 pgs 214-‐
249.
Dec 1: Hands-‐on laboratory work; open time for reviewing specimens
Dec 6: Final Exam Review and course conclusion
December 12th, 9:00 AM: FINAL EXAM
Course Policies:
1. Students are expected to actively engage in the learning process. You are expected to come prepared to class, having completed the assigned readings.
This will help you get the most out of lectures and to participate in discussions.
You are encouraged to ask questions, both in class or privately during office hours. Please remember to turn off cell phones in class!
2. All course requirements must be completed to pass the course. Policy about course outlines can be found in the Evaluation Procedures and Grading System section of the University Calendar.
3. The University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty. Students are expected to be familiar with these standards regarding academic honesty and to uphold the policies of the University in this respect. Students are particularly urged to familiarize themselves with the provisions of the Code of Student Behaviour (online at
www.ualberta.ca/secretariat/appeals.htm) and avoid any behaviour that could potentially result in suspicions of cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation of facts, and/or participation in an offence. Academic dishonesty is a serious offence and can result in suspension or expulsion from the University. Students are referred to the Code of Student Behaviour, Sections 30.3.2(1), 30.3.2(2), 30.3.6(4), and 30.3.6(5).
4. If you have special needs that could affect your performance in this class, please let me know during the first week of the semester so that appropriate
arrangements can be made. You are also advised to contact Student Accessibility Services (SAS), 1-‐80 SUB (phone: 492-‐3381).
5. Audio or video recording of lecture, labs, seminars, or any other teaching environment by students is allowed only with the prior written consent of the instructor or as part of an approved accommodation plan. Recorded material is to be used solely for personal study, and is not to be used or distributed for any other purpose without prior written consent from the content author(s).
6. Past examples of exams and papers are on file with the instructor and are available to you upon request.
7. Prerequisites: For 480, 206 or department consent. For 580, enrolment in the graduate program.
