More than Food

Dr Hayley Foster, Oxford Archaeology

Analysis of archaeological faunal remains extends beyond dietary reconstruction to explore aspects of past human life. By examining zooarchaeological evidence, we can identify patterns in animal husbandry, seasonality, craft production, and the social roles of animals in the human-animal relationship. This talk will outline the scope of zooarchaeological evidence, its interpretive potential at sites, regionally, chronologically, and demonstrate how these insights contribute to understanding settlement organization and lifeways. Recent case studies from excavations in East Anglia will illustrate such evidence and their relevance to understanding the roles of animals in the past.

Dr Hayley Foster is a zooarchaeologist at Oxford Archaeology Cambridge where she
has worked for the past 9 years. Hayley has a PhD from the University of Exeter
where she studied butchery practices in medieval castle assemblages. Hayley has
worked on faunal assemblages all over the UK, Ireland and Turkey, ranging from the
Neolithic to the post-medieval.