Animals as Social Markers

The use of animals as social markes

When we look at animals as social markers, we look at them as something more than just food for survival. All deposit made by human agency involves ritual, but much of the symbolic role of the animals leaves little or no distinct evidences.

A White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus)

Changes in the social role of an animal might be similar to those associated with changes in the seasonal and temporal patterns, technology, the environment and the exchange systems. The ritual and social status might alter the archaeological records, if the status of the animal have impact on where, how and when the remains are discarded. The appearance of exotic animals on a site, are usually associated with migrations, colonization and acculturation. The usage or avoidance of certain animals in the diet, may be the reflections of dietary laws within the social boundaries of the society. The way animals are viewed in the spiritual world and the belief systems of a society can be reflected in the archaeological remains. The result of this may be that some animals were “sacred”, and thus avoided as sacrifices, on the other hand, others might have been preferred. The age of death and the season of death might give us some insight in the reasons for the offering.

Russell (2012) summaries that combining zooarchaeological evidences with artistic representation and textual information, gives us a richer understanding the symbolic role that animals might have held in the past. This is due to the fact that even though there might be absence of texts, representations and ethnohistory, we can get clues to the past belief system through examining the spatial distribution and the context of the remains. 

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Further reading

Reitz, E.J. & Wing, E.S. (2008) Zooarchaeology. Second Edition. New York, Cambridge University Press.

Russell, N. (2012) Social Zooarchaeology. Cambridge University Press.