Age-at-death in traditional Cypriot sheep and goat husbandry : implications for zooarchaeology

This chapter is dedicated to Tony Legge, who worked in Cyprus and was an advocate of zooarchaeologists gaining a better understanding of animal husbandry and farming practices in the present. He has left an indelible mark in the field through the high quality of his work and the large volume of archaeological knowledge that he produced. Arguably his most valuable contribution was his ability to expose cherished but unjustified assumptions and flaws in methodology. Our discipline needs more of his spirit to avoid mechanical application of methods and uncritical reproduction of knowledge.