This course equips biological anthropology and archaeology students with fundamental skills for the analysis of vertebrate remains in archaeological sites. Through online lectures, the course covers theory for the identification of those vertebrates most commonly found in archaeological sites, including mammals, birds, reptiles and fish. A week-long intensive program of hands-on learning trains students in the identification and quantification of zooarchaeological remains and includes including the development of the skills to generate zooarchaeological reports in a professional manner. The course also addresses the study of changes resulting from human-animal interactions, as well as the taphonomic aspects comprising the preservation and recovery of zooarchaeological assemblages.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- critically assess the different theories applied in the study of vertebrate remains;
- recognise and identify (giving reasons) skeletal elements;
- demonstrate an ability to transfer their skills to a practical context; and
- conduct a taphonomic analysis of zooarchaeological assemblages.
Indicative Assessment
- Literature-based methodological design (30) [LO 1]
- Four in-class practical assessments on days 1-4 of the intensive course (40) [LO 2,3]
- Zooarchaeology data recording in Xcel (30) [LO 2,3,4]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
130 hours of total student learning time made up from:
a) 40 hours of contact over 5 days: ~12 hours of lectures and 3-4 hours of tutorials.
b) 90 hours of independent student research, reading and writing.
Inherent Requirements
N/A
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
Prescribed texts are not required.
Preliminary Reading
Lyman, R.L., 1994. Vertebrate Taphonomy. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
O’Connor, T. 2000. The Archaeology of Animal Bones. Texas A&M University Press, Texas.
Reitz, E. J., & Elizabeth, S. Wing. 2008. Zooarchaeology. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. 2nd edition.
Russell, N. 2011. Social Zooarchaeology: Humans and Animals in Prehistory. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 14
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $4320 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $5580 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
Autumn Session
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5423 | 16 Jun 2025 | 12 Jun 2025 | 27 Jun 2025 | 18 Jul 2025 | In Person | N/A |