ANTH 441D-
INTRODUCTION TO ZOOARCHAEOLOGY

Instructor: Dr. Lapham
E-mail: hlapham@siu.edu

Course Description:
Zooarchaeology, the study of animal remains from archaeological sites, is a course designed to introduce advanced undergraduate and graduate students to the techniques of faunal analysis, the common methods used to interpret faunal data, and some of the major research questions zooarchaeological data can be used to investigate. One day a week will be devoted to lecture and discussion. Topics discussed will highlight current methodological and theoretical approaches to archaeological animal remains recovered from various socioeconomic contexts, geographic areas, and time periods. Themes covered will include past environments, hunting and fishing economies, status and ethnicity, symbolic and ritual use of animals, and animal domestication. Another day each week will be devoted to the laboratory and will consist of hands-on work with modern comparative skeletal collections and archaeological animal remains. You will be given your own faunal assemblage which you will be expected to sort and identify over the course of the semester. You will then present the results of your analysis and interpretations at the end of the semester. Prerequisite: Introduction to Archaeology.

Note: This course will be held in the Center for Archaeological Investigation’s Zooarchaeology Laboratory and Curation Facility located in the Stotlar Building, 200 W. Industrial Park Road (about 2.5 miles north of Faner Hall on Route 51).

Course Requirements:
To do well in this class you will need to attend both lecture and lab classes. You are expected to keep current with reading assignments and to participate in discussions of the readings and lecture materials. You will be expected to learn the basics of faunal identification which includes being able to distinguish between certain general categories such as animal species, skeletal element, and element portion and recognizing modifications to bone such as butchery marks, carnivore gnawing, and pathologies. Although approximately one day per week is devoted to lab work, you should also plan to spend some additional time in the lab to study for quizzes and complete analyses for your final paper. In lab classes, each student will be paired with a partner and the team will be given their own faunal assemblage which you will use to hone your identification skills over the course of the semester. You will be required to analyze your assemblage using the techniques and methods discussed in class. You will also be required to enter the data from your analyses into a Microsoft Excel database set up by Dr. Lapham. Individual databases compiled by each team will be combined into a single class database which you will then use in your final presentation and paper. The final oral presentation and written paper will report of your analyses and interpretation of your finds in light of a your chosen research topic.

Grading System:
Grades for the class are based on attendance and participation (5%), a species report (5%), five lab quizzes (45%), bibliography and final paper proposal, a database of your data, a final lab quiz (15%), and a final oral presentation (15%) and written research paper (15%).

Attendance and participation: I expect you to attend class regularly, participate actively in class and laboratory discussions and exercises, and keep current on all reading assignments.

Species report: Prepare a one-page, single-spaced report on an animal of your choosing. Report on the following: taxonomic hierarchy, physical description, geographic distribution, habitat, behavior, reproduction, food habits, and economic and social significance.

Lab quizzes: There will be five lab quizzes given over the course of the semester. These quizzes will test your identification skills and will likely also incorporate some information from lectures and readings. The first quiz is worth five points. All other quizzes are worth 10 points each. No make-up quizzes will be given.

Bibliography and final paper proposal: You will be asked to submit a one-page, single-spaced proposal that outlines your research topic and the specific research question(s) you intend to investigate in your final paper using the animal remains analyzed during lab. Your research topic may address one or more of the zooarchaeological topics discussed in class. In addition to the proposal you must include a partial bibliography of references that are applicable to the topic you have chosen for your final paper. Graduate students are expected to produce an annotated bibliography. In an annotated bibliography, each citation is followed by descriptive and evaluative paragraphs that inform the reader of the content, relevance, accuracy, and quality of the source cited. Five points will be deducted from your final grade if you fail to turn in a bibliography and paper proposal.

Database: You will be required to enter the data that you collect into a Microsoft Excel database set up by Dr. Lapham. Individual team databases will be combined into a single class database which you will use in your analysis and interpretation of the faunal assemblage for your final paper. Your database must have all of your data entered and the database and code sheets turned in by the deadline listed in the class schedule. Five points will be deducted from your final grade (and your teammate’s grade) if your database is turned in after the deadline. Ten points will be deducted from your final grade (and your teammate’s grade) if you fail to turn in your database.

Final lab exam: The final lab quiz will be a cumulative test of your identification skills and will incorporate information from lectures and readings. No make up exam will be given. If you miss the final exam, you will receive a zero on the assignment.

Final research paper: For the final paper, you will be expected to synthesize and interpret the faunal data that you and the other teams have collected. You should be able to evaluate the data in light of your chosen research topic. The final paper should be 15-20 pages in length; graduate students are expected to produce a paper that is 20-25 pages in length. Although you will work in teams of two during the lab classes, the final paper must be written on your own. Late papers will not be accepted.

Final presentation: The final presentation will be a 10-minute oral presentation of your research paper. I expect you to be able to clearly and concisely explain your research topic, your methods of data analysis, and your results and interpretations of the data in light of your original research question(s). A VPU and laptop computer with PowerPoint capabilities will be available for use on the day of your presentation. Think of the final presentation as a trial run of a research paper you might present at a professional conference. By the way, a 10-minute presentation translates into about five, double-spaced pages of written text.

*As a member of the SIUC community you are expected to adhere to the standards of academic integrity outlined in the Student Conduct Code. Any violation of this code, such as cheating or plagiarism, will result in full sanctions imposed.

**This syllabus is subject to change. When changes are necessary they will be announced in class.

Required Readings:
The following textbooks may be purchased from the campus bookstore:
• Zooarchaeology by Elizabeth J. Reitz and Elizabeth S. Wing (1999). Cambridge University Press.
• The Moose Manual: How to Prepare and Articulate Large Hoofed Mammal Skeletons by Lee Post (2004). Bone Building Books Vol. 6. Homer, Alaska.

All additional required readings have been placed in the Center for Archaeological Investigations office in Faner Hall. The main office is open M-F, 8am-12pm and 1pm-4:30pm. If you borrow the readings to photocopy, please return them promptly. Suggested readings can be found in CAI’s Zooarchaeology Laboratory.