Sheffield Zooarchaeology Lab

28/09/2026

With Alive & Kicking n.73 we return to zooarchaeology proper to showcase this important paper by the Antonio Jakov Tagliacozzo's team, which has illuminated Italian zooarchaeology, and the study of the Palaeolithic in particular, for so many years. This paper is led by Ivana Fiore in collaboration with Monica Gala and Tonino Tagliacozzo himself. Sheffield Zooarchaeology Twinning Zooarchaeology Network Sheffield Zooarchaeology Short Course MSc Osteoarchaeology Save Sheffield Archaeology International Council for Archaeozoology - ICAZ

Italy is very rich in Middle Palaeolithic sites, and the Veneto region ranges among those with the best archaeozoological information. Most of the Middle Palaeolithic sites are located in caves and r...

25/09/2026

This week, during our RICHeS Open Day, we had the pleasure of welcoming two different kinds of animal bone enthusiasts to our Zooarchaeology Collection! 🦴

First up was Josh Toulson from CFA, who arrived with a rather bony mystery on his hands.. a selection of equid bones from a recent excavation, which he hoped we could help identify to species level. 🐴🔍

We were also delighted to welcome Clare Stubbs, a freelance archaeologist, who came along to put her identification skills to test and get acquainted with some of the many animal species in our collection.

That’s what makes our Open Days so much fun: you never quite know who — or what — is going to walk through the door! From researchers bringing fresh excavation material to archaeologists looking to brush up on their skills, our reference collection attracts a wonderfully diverse community of animal bone lovers.

And, of course, we’re always happy to provide the bones for a good day of detective work! 🦴🔎

21/09/2026

Alive & Kicking n.72 takes us beyond zooarchaeology, which is timely considering the increasing militarization of the university and the country. The paper ARCHAEOLOGISTS IN CONFLICT: EMPATHISING WITH WHICH VICTIMS? shows that we have a long history of concern about the collusion between archaeologists and armed conflict and our opposition to the Defence University Alliance (DUA) has deep roots. The paper, focused on the involvement of archaeologists in the invasion of Iraq, also includes a response to a comment from US Army's personnel.
You can download it here:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/274997791_Archaeologists_in_Conflict_Empathizing_with_Which_Victims
Umberto Albarella Save Sheffield Archaeology Sheffield Zooarchaeology Short Course MSc Osteoarchaeology Sheffield Zooarchaeology Twinning Zooarchaeology Network

17/09/2026

Some valuable publications from the International Council for Archaeozoology - ICAZ Neotropical Zooarchaeology Working Group Sebastian Muñoz Mariana Mondini

17/09/2026

🐺🐕🦊 A day of carnivore skeletons!

It was a great pleasure to welcome Izabella Klipsch to our Zooarchaeology Collection during this week RICHeS Open Day! Izzy is currently working on her PhD research into dog domestication, and she spent the day exploring our collection and examining the morphological differences between wolves, dogs, foxes and other carnivores. 🦴🔍

Izzy’s PhD is based at Cardiff, where she is working with our fantastic colleagues Richard Madwick and Julia Best. It was great to see our collection being used to support her research and to help answer questions about one of the most fascinating stories in human history: how did wolves become our dogs? 🐕✨

Good luck with your PhD, Izzy — and we hope to see you back at the collection soon! OsteoarchaeologySave Sheffield ArchaeologySheffield Zooarchaeology Short CourseSheffield Zooarchaeology Twinning

16/09/2026

International Council for Archaeozoology - ICAZ has a YouTube channel!

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15/09/2026

Please consider applying to work in our archaeobotany and zooarchaeology labs in Sheffield or in any other RICHeS centres. Catherine Longford Lenny Salvagno Save Sheffield Archaeology Sheffield Zooarchaeology Short Course Sheffield Zooarchaeology Twinning

14/09/2026

Alive & Kicking n.71. This week we are delighted to showcase some urban zooarchaeology from Iceland, co-authored by the wonderful Ramona Harrison and her colleague Mjöll Snæsdóttir Sheffield Zooarchaeology Twinning Zooarchaeology Network International Council for Archaeozoology - ICAZ Save Sheffield Archaeology MSc Osteoarchaeology Sheffield Zooarchaeology Short Course https://bioone.org/journals/journal-of-the-north-atlantic/volume-2012/issue-19/037.004.m501/Urbanization-in-Reykjav%c3%adk--Post-Medieval-Archaeofauna-from-the-Downtown/10.3721/037.004.m501.short