Zooarchaeology in the 21st Century: Traditional Approaches and Emerging Technologies
Archaeology in the Community Upcoming Workshops
Thursday, July 30, 2026 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Online Location
Brush Up Workshop
Date: Thursday, July 30, 2026
Time: 7:00-8:00 PM Eastern Time
Location: Zoom
Cost: $20-$50 (See registration form)
Workshop Description
Zooarchaeology—the analysis of animal remains from archaeological contexts—provides critical information about past human lifeways. Not only does it provide information on human diet and human-animal interactions, but the analysis of animal bones can also provide insight into site formation processes, human landscape use, past environmental conditions, human technology, and ritual behavior. Traditional zooarchaeological analysis involves the use of physical comparative collections to identify remains. While this remains an integral part of the field, this workshop will introduce participants to digital resources and innovative methods that are expanding the reach of the discipline and opening new avenues for research. We will pay particular attention to Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (or ZooMS), which not only has tremendous potential for the identification of otherwise non-diagnostic bone fragments, but can also be used to analyze artifacts produced using animal products (bone, leather, etc.).
Instructor Description
Jamie L. Clark is an associate professor at George Mason University. Her research focuses on human-environmental interactions during the Later Pleistocene (~125,000-10,000 years ago). Dr. Clark’s work is driven by a desire to understand the factors that account for the success and spread of our species relative to the Neanderthals and other archaic human groups. She approaches this through the lens of zooarchaeology—the study of animal remains from archaeological sites. She earned a BA in African and Middle Eastern History from Northwestern University and an MA and PhD in Anthropology (Archaeology) from the University of Michigan. Prior to arriving at GMU in 2020, Dr. Clark was a faculty member at University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Outcomes
As part of Archaeology in the Community’s Brush Up series of workshops, participants will receive:
- a certificate of completion
- expert instruction and Q&A
- a copy of the presentation slides
- a link to the recording of the session
- a document of resources and key points
- a short quiz to test understanding
Brush Up workshops are organized by Archaeology in the Community and sponsored by the Society of Black Archaeologists.
