Fishes

Fishes is a practical introduction to the study of fish remains from archaeological sites.

Alwyne Wheeler (Author), Andrew K. G. Jones (Author)

9780521105415, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 19 March 2009

228 pages
24.4 x 17 x 1.2 cm, 0.34 kg

Fishes is a practical introduction to the study of fish remains from archaeological sites, designed for archaeologists and archaezoologists working in the field and in the laboratory. It provides clear guidelines for the identification of remains and how to interpret them. The identification and analysis of fish remains unearthed in archaeological excavations are invaluable factors in the reconstruction of climate, economic strategy, diet and trade. In this manual the authors discuss the importance of fishes in past economies and in archaeological research. They describe methods of extraction, fish anatomy and classification with the aid of numerous line drawings. The book also includes a survey of fishes most likely to be represented in archaeological sites and describes the biology of fishes in order to help archaeozoologists make informed judgements about methods of exploitation, size of fish caught and meat yield. This study is unique in making a realistic assessment of both the potential and limitations of the use of fish remains in archaeological interpretation.

1. Introduction
2. Fishes and the archaeologist
3. Aspects of fish ecology
4. Methods of recovery
5. Taphonomy
6. Anatomy of agnathans and cartilaginous fishes
7. The basic anatomy of bony fishes
8. Approaches to studying archaeological assemblages
9. Estimation of fish size
10. Estimation of minimum numbers of individuals
11. Estimation of season of capture
12. Interpretation of fishing activity
13. Reference collections
14. Future directions for research
References
Index.

Subject Areas: Archaeology [HD]