Animal bones in Australian archaeology: A field guide to common native and introduced species

by Melanie Fillios, Natalie Blake

157 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2015

Reviews

[N. Wiklund]

This text serves as a comprehensive introductory field guide to animal bones that you are likely to encounter in the Australian bush. Zooarchaeology is an exciting branch of archaeology where the reconstruction and analysis of faunal remains help us learn about past economies, trade, diets, and various aspects of history. While this book does not cover every animal you might find, it offers a solid understanding of native species such as kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, and possums, as well as introduced species like horses, cows, and sheep.
I recently revisited this text from my university days after ordering a new copy to refresh my knowledge. My focus during my honors program was in zooarchaeology, which involves studying animal remains in archaeological contexts. It was refreshing to see how much I still remembered from that time.