HU Credits: 2

Degree/Cycle: 2nd degree (Master)

Responsible Department: archaeology & ancient near east

Semester: 1st Semester

Teaching Languages: Hebrew

Campus: Mt. Scopus

Course/Module Coordinator: Dr. Rivka Rabinovich

Coordinator Email: rivkar@mail.huji.ac.il

Coordinator Office Hours: Appointments

Teaching Staff:
Dr. Rivka Rabinovich

Course/Module description:
Man and animal goes together ever since. Major processes regarding the appearance of the hominins in our area, paleo-diet, modes of exploitations and preservation as reflected in the archaeological record will be discussed. The evidences of Domestication and the outcomes to the human society will be examined using the newest methods. Much focus will be in the southern Levant record, where many of the major changes took place. But a world view will be included as well

Course/Module aims:
To understand the complexity of the fauna originating from archaeological sites, as well as learning the required tools to cope with this complexity.

Learning outcomes - On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
The outcome of the course is to know how faunal materials are analyzed and to be able to read and interpret reports. In addition to acquiring the basic knowledge about the major faunal groups found in archaeological contexts.

Attendance requirements(%):
100

Teaching arrangement and method of instruction: Lectures
Laboratory training

Course/Module Content:
Archaezoology – Introduction, research goals
Taxonomy – general introduction, Invertebrates – in the archaeological record
Fish - in the archaeological record
Amphibians and reptiles - in the archaeological record
Birds - in the archaeological record
Mammals- in the archaeological record
Paleoenvironmental methods – based on fauna
Taphonomy – methods and case studies
Domestication
Modes of complex farming as reflected in the archaeological record

Required Reading:
Andrews, P. 1990. Owls, Caves and Fossils. Natural History Museum Publications. Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD.
Binford, L. R. 1978. Nunamiut Ethno-Archaeology. New-York: Academic Press.
Binford, L. R. 1981. Bones: Ancient man and modern myths. New-York: Academic Press.
Brain, C. K. 1981. The Hunters or the Hunted? an Introduction to African Taphonomy. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Davis, S. 1987. The Archaeology of Animals. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press.
von den Driesch. 1976. A guide to the measurements of animal bones from archaeological sites. Peabody Museum Bulletin 1. Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology Harvard University.
Kelly, L. R. 1995. The Foraging Spectrum: diversity in hunter-gatherer lifeways. Smithsonian Institution Press.
Lee, R., and I. De Vore (eds). 1968. Man the Hunter. Aldine, Chicago.
Lyman, R.L. 1994. Vertebrate taphonomy. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
O'Connor, T. 2000. The Archaeology of Animal Bones, Sutton.
Reitz, E.J. & E. S. Wing. 1999. Zooarchaeology. Cambridge University Press Cambridge.
Wilson, B., C. Grigson, and S. Payne (eds). 1982. Ageing and Sexing Animal Bones from Archaeological Sites. Bar British Series 109.

Additional Reading Material:
Selected articles during the course

Course/Module evaluation:
End of year written/oral examination 60 %
Presentation 0 %
Participation in Tutorials 0 %
Project work 0 %
Assignments 30 %
Reports 0 %
Research project 0 %
Quizzes 10 %
Other 0 %

Additional information:
2 obligatory laboratory classes in Giveat Ram. The schedule will be fixed with the students.