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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield

@zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social
256 followers 133 following 128 posts

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

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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Bones brought in and skills brushed up! 🦴 This week’s RICHeS Open Day welcomed Josh Toulson from CFA with some mystery equid bones and Clare Stubbs, a freelance archaeologist, refreshing her ID skills. We love seeing the many kinds of animal bone enthusiasts our collection attracts! 🔎🐴
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
📚 A&K n.50 highlights the work of Marcos García García, a former student of our MA in Environmental Archaeology and Palaeoeconomy, who now teaches at the University of Granada. We’re pleased to draw your attention to his fascinating article: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
sciencedirect.com
Some remarks on the provision of animal products to urban centres in medieval Islamic Iberia: The cases of Madinat Ilbirah (Granada) and Cercadilla (Cordova)
This paper deals with the first results of an on-going research project that attempts to elucidate, amongst other aspects, how medieval Islamic urban …
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
🐺🐕🦊 Great to welcome Izabella Klipsch to our Zooarchaeology Collection this week for our RICHeS Open-Day! She spent the day comparing wolf, dog, fox and other carnivore skeletons as part of her PhD research on dog domestication at Cardiff. 🦴🔍 Good luck with your PhD, Izzy — and come back soon!
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
ZOOARCH, aka the way zooarchaeologists talk to each other, support each other, and learn from each other, was created in 2000 by Umberto Albarella and Jacqui Mulville. To join, you can find more information by following the link: www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/weba....
jiscmail.ac.uk
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
A&K No. 49 is here! This time, we’re spotlighting Erika Gal, whose work in Romania and Hungary has been instrumental in the development of archaeornithology, alongside her important contributions to zooarchaeology. 🐦 Curious to discover her research? Here’s one of her books to get you started!
archaeolingua.hu
Fowling in Lowlands | Archaeolingua
Series Minor No. 24 Budapest, Archaeolingua, 2007 Puhakötés | Paper book, 23.5 × 16.5 cm 152 oldal, színes és fekete-fehér illusztrációkkal | 152 pages with colored and grayscale images Table of conte...
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Say hello to the newest member of our Zooarchaeological Reference Collection! 👋🦴 This American mink has shed its coat, embraced the skeletal look and is now ready to help us identify animal remains from the past🦴🔍. Huge thanks to the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust for donating this fantastic animal to us
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
We are pleased to announce the publication of a new book on the archaeology of horses. There is also some Sheffield contribution with a foreword by @umbertoalbarella.bsky.social. www.oxbowbooks.com/979888857226...
oxbowbooks.com
The Archaeology of the Horse - Oxbow Books
This work surveys how horses shaped past societies through art, ritual, warfare, domestication, and social status across epochs and cultures.The horse has a ...
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
⚠️ Warning: photos of a dead fish!🐟 🦴 Skeletonising a boxfish is no walk in the park! This longhorn cowfish comes with its own built-in armour: a rigid, box-shaped body covered in hard bony plates. Basically, nature made a fish that comes in a box… and then challenged us to get it out. 😅
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
For A&K n.48, we’re delighted to feature “Herders or hunters?” by Laura Llorente Rodriguez. Laura joined us during her PhD in Madrid and quickly became part of the team. Now Assistant Professor in Archaeozoology at Leiden University, she remains a close friend and collaborator.
sciencedirect.com
Herders or hunters? Discriminating butchery practices through phalanx breakage patterns at Cova Fosca (Castellón, Spain)
This paper aims to address the issue of whether or not the bones of wild and domestic ungulates in the Neolithic levels of Cova Fosca (Eastern Spain) …
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Watch out for this new publication by our wonderful Angelos Hadjikoumis! www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
sciencedirect.com
Emerging complexity through human-animal interactions at Early Bronze Age Koropi, Attica, Greece
Current knowledge on Early Bronze Age society in Attica (Greece) is limited, especially on human-animal interactions. Large faunal samples from Early …
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
We are very happy to introduce our new volunteer, Alice! 🎉 With an MSc in Osteoarchaeology from Exeter, Alice is still very much in love with zooarchaeology and has kindly offered to help us regularly with our lab and collections. Thank you, Alice! ❤️
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
We are delighted to announce the publication of ANIMAL HUSBANDRY IN THE ROMAN AND MEDIEVAL LAGOON OF VENICE, ITALY: THE BIOMETRIC EVIDENCE by our former MSc Osteoarchaeology and PhD student Mauro Rizzetto. Well done, Mauro! We are looking forward to seeing more of your work published.
sciencedirect.com
Animal husbandry in the Roman and medieval Lagoon of Venice, Italy: the biometric evidence
This study investigates animal husbandry in the Roman and medieval Lagoon of Venice, relying on zooarchaeological evidence. It draws on taxonomic freq…
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
A&K n.47 takes us to South America! This week, we’re heading to coastal Patagonia to spotlight the work of Sebastián Muñoz, whose research has significantly advanced our understanding of the archaeology of the region — and, in particular, the long history of pinniped exploitation. 🦭
link.springer.com
Pinniped Zooarchaeological Studies in Southern Patagonia: Current Issues and Future Research Agenda
Sea lions have been one of the main resources used by Holocene hunter–gatherers in Southern Patagonia, but many aspects of their exploitation still remain to be studied if we are to understand t...
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
For A&K n.46, we would like to showcase the paper "Zooarchaeological study of pigs during the Holocene at El Portalón (Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain)" by Marian Galindo-Pellicena, who has been a multiple and much-loved research visitor to our lab in Sheffield😊
sciencedirect.com
Zooarchaeological study of pigs during the Holocene at El Portalón (Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain)
A taphonomic study, followed by the biometrical analysis and mortality profile of 490 bone remains from the Neolithic to Bronze Age levels at El Porta…
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Great to welcome Alice Dixon back to the Zooarchaeology Research Collection yesterday during our RICHeS Open Day! After completing her MSc with us at Sheffield, Alice now works for Archaeology Warwickshire and visited to brush up on her zooarchaeology skills. Alice, we hope to see you again soon!
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Summer might be heating up, but the lab certainly isn't slowing down! ☀️🦴 We've just started skeletonising an American mink. Huge thanks to the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust for providing this fantastic specimen. Stay tuned for the finished skeleton!
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
A&, no. 45, shines a spotlight on the work of a great friend, colleague: Mark Maltby. While Mark is best known for his pioneering research in Britain, he also led a long-running project in Russia that culminated in this excellent book. www.oxbowbooks.com/978184217277...
oxbowbooks.com
Animals and Archaeology in Northern Medieval Russia - Oxbow Books
This is the third book on material studies in this series on medieval Novgorod and its territory, and deals with a substantial body of animal bones that ha...
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Umberto Albarella interviewed by Angelos Hadjikoumis for the International Council for Archaeozoology - ICAZ 50 years history series.
youtube.com
Umberto Albarella - ICAZ - 50th Anniversary Interview
YouTube video by ICAZ Social Media
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
It's very nice to see that our university chose to celebrate the work of our technicians, who are so vital to the appropriate function of our University. Shame, however, that they decided to 'celebrate' the work of our brilliant bioarchaeology technician by making her redundant..
sheffield.ac.uk
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
For A&K n.44, we're delighted to spotlight the work of our friend Lídia Colominas Barberà. "Roman Conquest and Changes in Animal Husbandry in the North-East of the Iberian Peninsula", reflects Lidia's longstanding research interests in the impact of the Roman conquest on animal husbandry.
revistas.uam.es
Making sure you're not a bot!
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
THEMES IN OLD WORLD ZOOARCHAEOLOGY, our book dedicated to Simon Davis is now available at a very competitive price! @icaz-news.bsky.social @oxbowbooks.bsky.social
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
www.uptonfunerals.com/obituaries/d... A zooarchaeology giant has left us. RIP Richard Meadow. 😢
uptonfunerals.com
Dr. Richard H. Meadow Obituary Jul 10, 2026 - Pickering & Son Upton Funeral Home
View Dr. Richard H. Meadow's obituary, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
We are very pleased to have had two RiCHeS access funds projects allocated to our bioarchaeology labs: "Animal bones as powerful carriers of meaning: memory and identity, life and death" & "Assiros Toumba: Weed ecology and Bronze Age cultivation intensity". Stay tuned🙂!
riches.ukri.org
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Reposted by Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield
Umberto Albarella STOP THE GENOCIDE! @umbertoalbarella.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
sheffield.ac.uk/technicians/... It's very nice to see that my university chose to celebrate the work of our excellent technicians. Shame, however, that they decided to 'celebrate' the work of our brilliant bioarchaeology technician by making her redundant... @sheffielducu.bsky.social @ucu.org.uk
sheffield.ac.uk
Our People: Celebrating Technicians
A University campaign designed to shine a spotlight on our inspiring technicians and the vital roles they play across research, innovation, education and support services.
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
A&K n.43! While many of us in Europe wrestle with distinguishing sheep from goats our colleagues on the other side of the world face a very different set of identification challenges. This brilliant work by Erin Mein and Tiina Manne explores the fascinating world of marsupial identification.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Identifying marsupials from Australian archaeological sites: current methodological challenges and opportunities in zooarchaeological practice
We review current zooarchaeological practice in Australia, identifying major research themes and key methodological gaps where opportunities exist for the development of Australian zooarchaeology as ...
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
🐂 Meet Attila! No, he's not here to conquer Europe—but he is the newest addition to our zooarchaeology collection. This Highland bull reached the grand age of 22, and his skeleton shows some fascinating age-related changes. Thanks to RICHeS for making this acquisition possible. 🦴
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
link.springer.com/.../10.1007/.... A recent publication by some good friends and colleagues! Enjoy!
link.springer.com
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Big life change for our Veronica Aniceti! Good luck for your new position as a Tenure Track Researcher at Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy! 🙂😍
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Our very own Justin Ayres and Tracy Platts have presented at the PZAF - Postgraduate ZooArchaeology Forum currently taking place in Lisbon. Congratulations guys and also to the organisers of what seems to be a very successful conference!
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
A familiar face returned to the lab yesterday for our Open Day! 🦴 Former student Josh Toulson, now working for CFA Archaeology, stopped by to use our Zooarchaeology Reference Collection while investigating animal bones from a medieval site and checking some tricky identifications.
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
A&K N.42 showcases work carried out in Sheffield by visiting Master's student Donna de Groene. This paper is a truly all-round Sheffield collaboration, featuring contributions from Evelyne Browaeys, Ged Poland, Mauro Rizzetto, and Donna herself. 👉 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
A&K n.41 highlights some of the remarkable archaeological research carried out in Greenland over the past few decades, shedding light on the connections between Greenland, the wider North Atlantic, and Europe, while also emphasising the resilience and agency of Greenland's Indigenous communities.
nabohome.org
Welcome to NABO, the North Atlantic Biocultural Organization
NABO cross-cuts national and disciplinary boundaries to help North Atlantic scholars make the most of the immense potential of our damp and lovely research area
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
It's beginning to feel a bit like Christmas in the lab! 📦🎁 Thanks to RICHeS funding, we've received three new storage cabinets that will help make our growing bird collection much more accessible. There are also 4 mysterious boxes.. What's in them? 🦴🐦 Well, well... Stay tuned for the unboxing!
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
Fantastic news about the publication of this book combining two PZAF - Postgraduate ZooArchaeology Forum conferences and with heavy Sheffield Zooarchaeology Lab involvement, including Veronica Aniceti, Matteo Bormetti, Mauro Rizzetto, Helene Benkert, Claudia Minniti and Grazia Sergi 👏
barpublishing.com
Animals and Humans Through Time - BAR Publishing
The papers in this volume represent a selection of early career zooarchaeological research originally presented at the 7th and 10th meetings of the Postgraduate ZooArchaeology Forum, held in Palermo i...
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
A&K No. 40 features a special volume in honour of distinguished zooarchaeologist Simon Davis. This project brought together an exceptional team of colleagues and friends and it contains a wealth of material that will be relevant for anyone interested in the study of past human-animal relationships.
oxbowbooks.com
Themes in Old World Zooarchaeology - Oxbow Books
This new collection of papers from leading experts provides an overview of cutting-edge research in Old World zooarchaeology. The research presented here spa...
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
A&K n.39. This week we’re shining a light on the work of the wonderful Eric Tourigny, a friend, an exceptional researcher, and the author of a paper that is as moving as it is informative. A brilliant exploration of one of Eric’s enduring research interests. 👉 www.cambridge.org/core/journal....
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
We're delighted to see this paper published: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti.... It's a joint effort by Andrea Tommolini & our former Masters' and PhD student, and for ever ⭐️Veronica Aniceti! Well done, Andrea & Veronica!
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
Al&K helping n.38! Today we celebrate the work of a veteran member of our team - Beatrice Vacca. Beatrice did her PhD with us 2008-2012 and this paper "The hunting of large mammals in the upper palaeolithic of southern Italy: A diachronic case study from Grotta del Romito" stems from her PhD work.
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
Great to welcome visitors to our Zooarchaeology collection during a recent RICHeS open day! Prof. Paul Halstead, Dr Valasia Isaakidou, and Dr Olga Zagorodnia used the collection for research ranging from prehistoric Greek faunal remains to Bronze Age bone tools from Wales.
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
A&K is back with issue no. 37, featuring a most interesting book by another old friend of our team, Minghao Lin, currently a tenure-track associate professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. 👉 link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
link.springer.com
Origins of Cattle Traction and the Making of Early Civilisations in North China
This book applies Chinese osteological materials to look into the origins of cattle labour using palaeopathological and archaeological investigations
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Stories Written in Bone 🦴 A quick update on our buzzard. As it dried we had one of those real “wow” moments. Just look at that humerus: a transverse break, with traces of healing. Amazing attempt by the vet to repair the wing but, unfortunatelly, the bird died before it could fully heal.
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
A&K is back with issue n.37! Today we showcase a very interesting book by another old friend of our team - Minghao Lin, currently a tenure-track associate professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. If you are a cattle lover, this book is for you! link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
link.springer.com
Origins of Cattle Traction and the Making of Early Civilisations in North China
This book applies Chinese osteological materials to look into the origins of cattle labour using palaeopathological and archaeological investigations
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
🌟 Volunteer spotlight (part 2)! Big thanks to Louise & Molly for helping with checking our bird reference collection after the move 🐦📚 First-year Zoology students and absolute stars—see you back in the lab soon!
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
A&K n.36 spotlights Paul Halstead, a pioneer in the ethnoarchaeology of animal husbandry, whose work helped establish Sheffield as a global hub for zooarchaeology.This volume brings together decades of research in the Mediterranean. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/book/10....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Two Oxen Ahead
TWO OXEN AHEAD This revealing study of farming practices in societies around the Mediterranean draws out the valuable contribution that knowledge of recent practices can make to our understanding of h...
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
Shoutout to one of our brilliant undergraduate volunteers 👏 Yesterday Ellis helped accession a new specimen into our zooarchaeology reference collection, a vital step in keeping our research materials organised and accessible 🦴
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
We’re pleased to share A&K no. 35! This issue features a key volume edited by Greg Monks on how zooarchaeology helps us understand human responses to climate change—drawing on case studies from across the globe. Enjoy 👉 link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
link.springer.com
Climate Change and Human Responses
This book contributes to the current discussion on climate change by presenting selected studies on the ways in which past human groups responded to climatic and environmental change. In particular, t...
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
Lab update 🐾 ⚠️ May include images of dead animals. Latest additions to our skeletal reference collection! It’s always a strange mix of respect, curiosity, and “wow, that’s fascinating” when we do this kind of work—but every specimen helps us learn more, teach better, and support future research.
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
A& n.34 is here! 🥳 This post highlights a volume dedicated to our colleague Andrew Sherratt, featuring zooarchaeological work by Sarah Viner and Angelos Hadjikoumis from their PhDs in our lab.👉 www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv.... A reminder of lasting collaborations and where they can lead!
jstor.org
Dynamics of Neolithisation in Europe: Studies in honour of Andrew Sherratt on JSTOR
Dynamics of Neolithisation examines the development of early agriculture in Neolithic Europe, drawing on the work of the late Professor Andrew Sherratt. His unt...
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
A&K n.33 is here! Today we showcase this fantastic volume by Zbigniew Bochenski and Teresa Tomek, which has allowed us great advances in the field of bird bone identification. Enjoy it here 👉 www.nhbs.com/a-key-for-th...
nhbs.com
A Key for the Identification of Domestic Bird Bones in Europe: Preliminary Determination
Buy A Key for the Identification of Domestic Bird Bones in Europe: Preliminary Determination (9788361358046): NHBS - Zbigniew M Bochenski and Teresa Tomek, Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals, Polish Academy of Sciences
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Zooarchaeology Lab Sheffield @zooarchlabsheff.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
A&K n.32 highlights the work of Sofia Tecce, our brilliant Argentinian colleague and longtime team member. From MSc to PhD, Sofia played a key role in our research. Her PhD explored pig domestication in prehistoric Italy. You can read her paper here: eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/.../Tecce%20... ...
eprints.whiterose.ac.uk
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