Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield
@zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social
Zooarchaeology lab based at the University of Sheffield, home to an extensive animal bone reference collection and one of the most active zooarch research teams in the world
A&K n.15 This time we spotlight Andy Hammon’s fascinating research, showing that improvements in Roman animal husbandry were virtually absent in western Britain — a striking reminder of how risky broad generalisations can be. www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Understanding the Romano-British–Early Medieval Transition: A Zooarchaeological Perspective from Wroxeter (Viroconium Cornoviorum) | Britannia | Cambridge Core
Understanding the Romano-British–Early Medieval Transition: A Zooarchaeological Perspective from Wroxeter (Viroconium Cornoviorum) - Volume 42
www.cambridge.org
November 20, 2025 at 9:22 AM
A&K n.15 This time we spotlight Andy Hammon’s fascinating research, showing that improvements in Roman animal husbandry were virtually absent in western Britain — a striking reminder of how risky broad generalisations can be. www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
A&K n.14 We return to the Sheffield team to highlight this paper by Idoia Grau Sologestoa who completed her PhD between the University of the Basque Country and the University of Sheffield. Idoia continues to be a leading light in medieval zooarchaeology.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Livestock management in Spain from Roman to post-medieval times: a biometrical analysis of cattle, sheep/goat and pig
The aim of this paper is to present the results of the biometrical analysis carried out on cattle, sheep/goat and pig measurements from a number of Sp…
www.sciencedirect.com
November 11, 2025 at 9:29 AM
A&K n.14 We return to the Sheffield team to highlight this paper by Idoia Grau Sologestoa who completed her PhD between the University of the Basque Country and the University of Sheffield. Idoia continues to be a leading light in medieval zooarchaeology.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
For A&K n.13 we would like to showcase this seminal paper on the study of colonial zooarchaeology. First author is Betsy Reitz, an absolute legend in the world of zooarchaeology, from whose work we have have all learned a lot. Paper here 👉 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Morphometric Data for Cattle from North America and the Caribbean Prior to the 1850s
An important aspect of early colonies was the adaptive response of domestic animals to new environments. This is reflected in zooarchaeological studie…
www.sciencedirect.com
November 6, 2025 at 9:17 AM
For A&K n.13 we would like to showcase this seminal paper on the study of colonial zooarchaeology. First author is Betsy Reitz, an absolute legend in the world of zooarchaeology, from whose work we have have all learned a lot. Paper here 👉 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Should anybody be interested, @umbertoalbarella.bsky.social will give a seminar at the University of Cambridge on Thursday at 4pm., which can be followed online too. Details here: talks.cam.ac.uk/talk/index/2...
talks.cam : Meat consumption and the shaping of a Romano-British culture
talks.cam.ac.uk
November 3, 2025 at 6:36 PM
Should anybody be interested, @umbertoalbarella.bsky.social will give a seminar at the University of Cambridge on Thursday at 4pm., which can be followed online too. Details here: talks.cam.ac.uk/talk/index/2...
Good to see our former MSc Osteoarchaeology student, @Megan Bieraugle, keeping busy! www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Ageing dogs and wolves using x-ray micro-computed tomography (μ-CT): an application to canid remains from the Junction Site, Alberta, Canada
Evidence for relationships between people, dogs, and wolves can be found across much of the world. Methods for studying archaeological canid remains, …
www.sciencedirect.com
November 2, 2025 at 7:49 AM
Good to see our former MSc Osteoarchaeology student, @Megan Bieraugle, keeping busy! www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Today we celebrate the work of one of our most dedicated members, Veronica Aniceti! 🎉
Her paper “Who’s Eating Pork?” has helped reshape our understanding of the pork taboo and the Islamic heritage of Sicily.
Enjoy the read! 🐖📖 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Her paper “Who’s Eating Pork?” has helped reshape our understanding of the pork taboo and the Islamic heritage of Sicily.
Enjoy the read! 🐖📖 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Who’s eating pork? Investigating pig breeding and consumption in Byzantine, Islamic and Norman/Aragonese Sicily (7th-14th c. AD)
This paper investigates the culture of pork consumption in Sicily by examining a number of archaeological faunal assemblages dated to chronological ph…
www.sciencedirect.com
October 28, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Today we celebrate the work of one of our most dedicated members, Veronica Aniceti! 🎉
Her paper “Who’s Eating Pork?” has helped reshape our understanding of the pork taboo and the Islamic heritage of Sicily.
Enjoy the read! 🐖📖 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Her paper “Who’s Eating Pork?” has helped reshape our understanding of the pork taboo and the Islamic heritage of Sicily.
Enjoy the read! 🐖📖 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
A&K 11 alert! We are delighted to highlight this very valuable compendium of zooarchaeological case studies across the world edited by Christina Giovas (Simon Fraser University, Vancouver) & Michelle LeFebvre (Florida Museum of Natural History). Enjoy! link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
Zooarchaeology in Practice
Zooarchaeology in Practice advances the methodological discussion beyond its present strictures by addressing the development of analytically sound
link.springer.com
October 22, 2025 at 3:15 PM
A&K 11 alert! We are delighted to highlight this very valuable compendium of zooarchaeological case studies across the world edited by Christina Giovas (Simon Fraser University, Vancouver) & Michelle LeFebvre (Florida Museum of Natural History). Enjoy! link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
🎉 Free Open Access Days!
Explore Sheffield’s 🌾 Archaeobotany & 🦴 Zooarchaeology collections through the SHEFF BIOARCH RICHeS (UKRI) project.
Consult, learn & photograph heritage materials — booking info below 👇
Explore Sheffield’s 🌾 Archaeobotany & 🦴 Zooarchaeology collections through the SHEFF BIOARCH RICHeS (UKRI) project.
Consult, learn & photograph heritage materials — booking info below 👇
October 20, 2025 at 8:28 AM
🎉 Free Open Access Days!
Explore Sheffield’s 🌾 Archaeobotany & 🦴 Zooarchaeology collections through the SHEFF BIOARCH RICHeS (UKRI) project.
Consult, learn & photograph heritage materials — booking info below 👇
Explore Sheffield’s 🌾 Archaeobotany & 🦴 Zooarchaeology collections through the SHEFF BIOARCH RICHeS (UKRI) project.
Consult, learn & photograph heritage materials — booking info below 👇
#A&K Alive & Kicking helping n.10! This is an article by one of our longest members, Angelos Hadjikoumis. It is based on his PhD dissertation, undertaken in Sheffield. This is highly relevant ethnoarchaeological work. Enjoy! www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti....
Traditional pig herding practices in southwest Iberia: Questions of scale and zooarchaeological implications
Archaeological interpretations are interwoven with analogical reasoning. This paper presents a large volume of ethnographic data on traditional pig hu…
www.sciencedirect.com
October 14, 2025 at 10:35 AM
#A&K Alive & Kicking helping n.10! This is an article by one of our longest members, Angelos Hadjikoumis. It is based on his PhD dissertation, undertaken in Sheffield. This is highly relevant ethnoarchaeological work. Enjoy! www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti....
#A&K. With Alive & Kicking n.9 we would like to celebrate the work of a wonderful friend and colleague who left us far too soon. Here is her influential paper on donkey domestication. This is for you, Stine. We miss you very much. www.pnas.org/doi/full/10....
PNAS
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...
www.pnas.org
October 7, 2025 at 11:06 AM
#A&K. With Alive & Kicking n.9 we would like to celebrate the work of a wonderful friend and colleague who left us far too soon. Here is her influential paper on donkey domestication. This is for you, Stine. We miss you very much. www.pnas.org/doi/full/10....
#A&K ⚡ Alive & Kicking n.8 is live!
This week we highlight our colleague Angela Maccarinelli’s paper 🐟. With Hannah Russ, she pioneered fish studies in Sheffield — and even from Italy, Angela remains a key part of our team. 🌍💡
Read it here 👉 link.springer.com/article/10.1...
This week we highlight our colleague Angela Maccarinelli’s paper 🐟. With Hannah Russ, she pioneered fish studies in Sheffield — and even from Italy, Angela remains a key part of our team. 🌍💡
Read it here 👉 link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Was pike on the menu? Exploring the role of freshwater fish in medieval England - Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences
Historical sources report that some species of freshwater fish were considered luxury food items in England during the Middle Ages. The high retail price associated with species such as pike, salmon and sturgeon, as well as restrictions of fishing rights on rivers, estuaries and natural and artificial ponds, proves their exclusivity and role as symbols of social privilege. In this work, the zooarchaeological evidence from 11 English sites dated between the 11th and the 15th c. AD is discussed. This paper explores the differences between the ranges of freshwater species recovered from different site types, by looking at specific features that could define these fishes as luxury items: in particular, species selection and fish size are investigated as potentially meaningful variables. The size of fish will be used as an indicator of status and interpreted in view of the increasing phenomenon of fishing from artificial fishponds.
link.springer.com
October 2, 2025 at 12:17 PM
#A&K ⚡ Alive & Kicking n.8 is live!
This week we highlight our colleague Angela Maccarinelli’s paper 🐟. With Hannah Russ, she pioneered fish studies in Sheffield — and even from Italy, Angela remains a key part of our team. 🌍💡
Read it here 👉 link.springer.com/article/10.1...
This week we highlight our colleague Angela Maccarinelli’s paper 🐟. With Hannah Russ, she pioneered fish studies in Sheffield — and even from Italy, Angela remains a key part of our team. 🌍💡
Read it here 👉 link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Reposted by Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield
Sheffield University Zooarchaeology Lab Left Without Windows!?
w/ @umbertoalbarella.bsky.social, @andybrockman.bsky.social and @mrsoup.bsky.social
youtu.be/qbvuDGHbt0w
#archaeologynews #sheffield #universityofsheffield #zooarchaeology
w/ @umbertoalbarella.bsky.social, @andybrockman.bsky.social and @mrsoup.bsky.social
youtu.be/qbvuDGHbt0w
#archaeologynews #sheffield #universityofsheffield #zooarchaeology
Sheffield University Zooarchaeology Lab Left Without Windows!?
YouTube video by The Watching Brief
youtu.be
September 28, 2025 at 5:26 PM
Sheffield University Zooarchaeology Lab Left Without Windows!?
w/ @umbertoalbarella.bsky.social, @andybrockman.bsky.social and @mrsoup.bsky.social
youtu.be/qbvuDGHbt0w
#archaeologynews #sheffield #universityofsheffield #zooarchaeology
w/ @umbertoalbarella.bsky.social, @andybrockman.bsky.social and @mrsoup.bsky.social
youtu.be/qbvuDGHbt0w
#archaeologynews #sheffield #universityofsheffield #zooarchaeology
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bEv... For decades we've worked to enhance the Sheffield Zooarch Lab & to see years of dedication destroyed by corporate executives who know the cost of everything and the value of nothing is heart breaking @watchingbrief.bsky.social #savesheffieldarchaeology
The destruction of the Zooarch laboratories in Sheffield
YouTube video by Sheffield Zooarchaeology Lab
www.youtube.com
September 23, 2025 at 9:20 AM
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bEv... For decades we've worked to enhance the Sheffield Zooarch Lab & to see years of dedication destroyed by corporate executives who know the cost of everything and the value of nothing is heart breaking @watchingbrief.bsky.social #savesheffieldarchaeology
Our own Phoebe Liu has presented a poster based on her PhD research at the conference of the British Association for
Biological Anthropology and Osteoarchaeology. Well done Phoebe! Photos by @snakesandbones.bsky.social. @umbertoalbarella.bsky.social @zig-saa.bsky.social @zooarch.bsky.social
Biological Anthropology and Osteoarchaeology. Well done Phoebe! Photos by @snakesandbones.bsky.social. @umbertoalbarella.bsky.social @zig-saa.bsky.social @zooarch.bsky.social
September 21, 2025 at 7:27 AM
Our own Phoebe Liu has presented a poster based on her PhD research at the conference of the British Association for
Biological Anthropology and Osteoarchaeology. Well done Phoebe! Photos by @snakesandbones.bsky.social. @umbertoalbarella.bsky.social @zig-saa.bsky.social @zooarch.bsky.social
Biological Anthropology and Osteoarchaeology. Well done Phoebe! Photos by @snakesandbones.bsky.social. @umbertoalbarella.bsky.social @zig-saa.bsky.social @zooarch.bsky.social
Very proud of our PhD students - Marina Chorro Giner, Ruth Irovec and Benjamin Wimmer - for giving excellent talks at the School of Biosciences postgraduate research conference @zooarch.bsky.social
September 18, 2025 at 10:39 AM
Very proud of our PhD students - Marina Chorro Giner, Ruth Irovec and Benjamin Wimmer - for giving excellent talks at the School of Biosciences postgraduate research conference @zooarch.bsky.social
A&K #7 - This week we're moving outside of Europe to highlight this remarkable compendium of Neotropical Zooarchaeology, edited by our wonderful Argentinian colleagues Mariana Mondini, Sebastián Muñoz and Pablo Fernández
link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
May 2, 2025 at 8:54 AM
A&K #7 - This week we're moving outside of Europe to highlight this remarkable compendium of Neotropical Zooarchaeology, edited by our wonderful Argentinian colleagues Mariana Mondini, Sebastián Muñoz and Pablo Fernández
link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
A&K #6 - This week we turn our attention again to the Sheffield team to highlight this paper which reviews the evidence for animal use at Roman roadside settlements in Britain.
To get your very own copy visit Lizzie Wright or Umberto Albarella's pages on researchgate.net or academia.edu
To get your very own copy visit Lizzie Wright or Umberto Albarella's pages on researchgate.net or academia.edu
April 25, 2025 at 8:00 AM
A&K #6 - This week we turn our attention again to the Sheffield team to highlight this paper which reviews the evidence for animal use at Roman roadside settlements in Britain.
To get your very own copy visit Lizzie Wright or Umberto Albarella's pages on researchgate.net or academia.edu
To get your very own copy visit Lizzie Wright or Umberto Albarella's pages on researchgate.net or academia.edu
A&K #5 - We've got another domestication special for you this week! This time looking at the different ways Moslems and Christians improved sheep and cattle in Southern Portugal, read it here:
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
#zooarchaeology
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
#zooarchaeology
Zooarchaeological evidence for Moslem and Christian improvements of sheep and cattle in Portugal
This study of osteometric variation of sheep and cattle remains from archaeological sites in southern Portugal—the part that was once ruled by the Mos…
www.sciencedirect.com
April 16, 2025 at 10:07 AM
A&K #5 - We've got another domestication special for you this week! This time looking at the different ways Moslems and Christians improved sheep and cattle in Southern Portugal, read it here:
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
#zooarchaeology
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
#zooarchaeology
Our reference collection needs constant upkeep so this week we're having a spring clean of our key reference bones! Specifically we're retouching and improving the labelling to make sure the collection is as accessible as possible for everyone, no matter their experience level.
April 14, 2025 at 8:21 AM
Our reference collection needs constant upkeep so this week we're having a spring clean of our key reference bones! Specifically we're retouching and improving the labelling to make sure the collection is as accessible as possible for everyone, no matter their experience level.
A&K #4 - Are you intrigued by goats? Would you like to know more about their role in the British Middle Ages? Well you're in luck! This week we bring you an article from our own Lenny and Umberto which tackles why goats have been neglected in British archaeology:
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Was the English medieval goat genuinely rare? A new morphometric approach provides the answer - Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences
There are important gaps in the historical and archaeological evidence that have, so far, precluded us from reliably assessing the role of the goat in the English Middle Ages. This, in part, is the di...
link.springer.com
April 10, 2025 at 9:13 AM
A&K #4 - Are you intrigued by goats? Would you like to know more about their role in the British Middle Ages? Well you're in luck! This week we bring you an article from our own Lenny and Umberto which tackles why goats have been neglected in British archaeology:
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
A&K #3 - Our latest instalment discusses the introduction of the domestic horse to Ireland, using modern technology (radiocarbon measurements) to tackle an age old question - when did the horse first appear? Find it here: www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
@icaz-news.bsky.social
@icaz-news.bsky.social
April 2, 2025 at 12:54 PM
A&K #3 - Our latest instalment discusses the introduction of the domestic horse to Ireland, using modern technology (radiocarbon measurements) to tackle an age old question - when did the horse first appear? Find it here: www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
@icaz-news.bsky.social
@icaz-news.bsky.social
A new addition to our fabulous bird reference collection, Accipiter nisus aka a Eurasian Sparrowhawk. This beautiful bird was very kindly donated by our friends at The Raptor Foundation, because conservation doesn't have to end at death.
March 24, 2025 at 2:43 PM
A new addition to our fabulous bird reference collection, Accipiter nisus aka a Eurasian Sparrowhawk. This beautiful bird was very kindly donated by our friends at The Raptor Foundation, because conservation doesn't have to end at death.
Reposted by Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield
oar.onroerenderfgoed.be/.../RELM/20/... It's great to see the book dedicated to our fantastic colleagues An Lentacker and Anton Ervynck, who have done so much for #zooarchaeology, published thanks to the efforts of Bea De Cupere et al. @icaz-news.bsky.social @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social
March 22, 2025 at 9:31 AM
oar.onroerenderfgoed.be/.../RELM/20/... It's great to see the book dedicated to our fantastic colleagues An Lentacker and Anton Ervynck, who have done so much for #zooarchaeology, published thanks to the efforts of Bea De Cupere et al. @icaz-news.bsky.social @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social
A&K #2 - A piece of work from one of our own PhD students this week. I'm sharing this again because it will only be available on open access until the end of March so get it while you can!
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Spavin in modern and archaeological cattle: Reassessing its association with traction use
To investigate the correlations of biological factors, including age, body size, and sex, with the occurrence of spavin, demonstrating that using spav…
www.sciencedirect.com
March 18, 2025 at 1:56 PM
A&K #2 - A piece of work from one of our own PhD students this week. I'm sharing this again because it will only be available on open access until the end of March so get it while you can!
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
#1 - 'Archaeozoological Analysis of the Fortified Settlement of Sand (10th Century AD, Lower Austria)' by Konstantina Saliari
This is a zooarchaeological analysis of the Early Medieval fortified settlement Sand, in Lower Austria, a fascinating site with lots of faunal remains.
This is a zooarchaeological analysis of the Early Medieval fortified settlement Sand, in Lower Austria, a fascinating site with lots of faunal remains.
March 10, 2025 at 4:10 PM
#1 - 'Archaeozoological Analysis of the Fortified Settlement of Sand (10th Century AD, Lower Austria)' by Konstantina Saliari
This is a zooarchaeological analysis of the Early Medieval fortified settlement Sand, in Lower Austria, a fascinating site with lots of faunal remains.
This is a zooarchaeological analysis of the Early Medieval fortified settlement Sand, in Lower Austria, a fascinating site with lots of faunal remains.