Review by Choice Review
Zooarchaeology, broadly speaking, is the study of animal remains (including works, such as footprints) recovered from archaeological sites. As Albarella (Univ. of Sheffield, UK) notes in his introductory chapter, most zooarchaeology focuses on vertebrates, especially mammals, but insects, snails, and other mollusks also feature in some analyses. This volume presents 46 case studies, organized geographically, which range over the entire scope of the archaeological record. It is not focused on method (as the term handbook might suggest), but there are methodological sections in most chapters and a final glossary of methods linked to the chapters in which they are utilized. Although Europe is most heavily represented with 14 chapters, the other world areas have a roughly equal representation. There are eight chapters each on North America, Asia, and Africa (though the Africa section contains no chapter on the faunal remains of the earliest hominins, which have been the subject of much discourse). Four chapters present case studies in South America and four more cover Oceania. This is a broad collection of what amounts to journal-format articles that lack much intercitation or shared focus beyond their broad topic. Summing Up: Recommended. With the caveats above. Graduate students, researchers, faculty, and professionals. --Eric Delson, CUNY Herbert H. Lehman College
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
