A Glossary of Zooarchaeological Methods

This methodological glossary presents brief explanations of the main analytical methods employed by zooarchaeologists and makes reference to those chapters in the Handbook that provide examples of their applications. The aim is to provide non-expert readers with a basic understanding of how the evidence presented in this volume has been obtained. The limitations and biases of each type of analysis are also briefly outlined, as their acknowledgement represents an essential prerequisite to research on archaeological materials. The definitions always refer to zooarchaeological applications of the term, although many of them may be employed in other disciplines with similar or different meanings. Each term makes reference to the chapters where it is mentioned, with the exception of approaches that are invariably adopted (e.g. taxonomic identification, quantification).