Interpreting the Past: Animal Bones.

The bones of animals are common finds on many excavations. Interesting as evidence of the occurrence of animals, both domestic and wild, at various times throughout history, bones can also yield information about the human societies that hunted or kept these animals. Bones provide clues to historical period, climate, predation patterns, environment, husbandry, farming, even religion and trade.

Written for general readers as well as those with a specific interest in archaeology and anthropology, James Rackham's book appeals to our great curiosity about those creatures who have previously inhabited the earth. Like man-made artifacts such as pottery and metalwork, animals bones link us to an earlier time.

James Rackham was formerly manager of the environmental archaeology section of the Museum of London Archaeology Service and is now an independent environmental archaeologist.