Sheffield Zooarchaeology Lab

31/08/2026

Alive & Kicking n.69. We are delighted to showcase this paper by our good colleague Plan Shenjere-Nyabezi, senior lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe and member of the International Council for Archaeozoology - ICAZ International Committee. This ventures into ethnoarchaeology, gender roles, southern Africa and cattle. Fascinating! Sheffield Zooarchaeology Twinning Save Sheffield Archaeology Zooarchaeology Network Sheffield Zooarchaeology Short Course MSc Osteoarchaeology

Cattle have always featured prominently in archaeological and historical studies of the Farming Communities of southern Africa. Research concerns have included their role in subsistence economies a...

28/08/2026

We are now less than one year away from our next International Conference in Vancouver, which means it’s time to start thinking about who will host the following International Conference that will take place in 2031. The deadline for bids for ICAZ 2031 is 30th November 2026. Bids should contain information on the proposed Location, Organising Committee, Conference Themes and Funding Opportunities. Bids should be sent to [email protected] and will be voted on by the International Committee at the meeting in Vancouver.
Please reach out if you have any questions about the bidding process or what hosting our international conference would entail!

25/08/2026

Alive & Kicking n.68. It's hard to believe that is almost 10 years since we published this book. It was a truly Sheffield cooperative job and we would in particular highlight the work of Mauro Rizzetto, who joined the project at a later stage but gave a key contribution to it. Check also introductory paper by Umberto Albarella and glossary by Mauro and Umberto, in addition to a breathtaking review of zooarchaeology research from across the globe. Many of the best known zooarchaeologists in the world are featured.
https://academic.oup.com/edited-volume/34661
Kim Vickers Hannah Russ Save Sheffield Archaeology Sheffield Zooarchaeology Twinning International Council for Archaeozoology - ICAZ Zooarchaeology Network MSc Osteoarchaeology Sheffield Zooarchaeology Short Course

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.

Stay tuned to see how the sparrowhawk and the longhorn cattle fish we recently prepared turn out!!! OsteoarchaeologySave Sheffield ArchaeologySheffield Zooarchaeology Short CourseUmberto Albarella.

19/08/2026

We are pleased to announce the publication of a new book on the archaeology of . There is also some contribution with a Foreword by Umberto Albarella. Sheffield Zooarchaeology Twinning Zooarchaeology Network International Council for Archaeozoology - ICAZ Save Sheffield Archaeology MSc Osteoarchaeology Sheffield Zooarchaeology Short Coursehttps://www.oxbowbooks.com/9798888572269/the-archaeology-of-the-horse/

18/08/2026

🦴🐟 Skeletonising a box fish is no walk in the park!
⚠️ Warning: photos of a dead fish! 🐟

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. 😅

Luckily, this one was a relatively quick job—and now we can have a closer look at what’s underneath all that armour! Save Sheffield ArchaeologyMSc OsteoarchaeologySheffield Zooarchaeology Short Course

17/08/2026

Alive & Kicking n.67 welcomes you to this week of late summer with this intriguing recent article: RECOGNISING SHEEP AND GOAT MOLAR MORPHOTYPES AS A METHOD FOR SPECIFIC AND POPULATIONAL DISTINCTION by some excellent Serbian colleagues. It moves beyond traditional sheep/goat distinction criteria to assess morphometric variation between populations. We're looking forward to investigate it further! Here is the link:
https://revistas.uam.es/archaeofauna/article/view/24180
Ivana Živaljević Sonja Vuković Sheffield Zooarchaeology Twinning Zooarchaeology Network International Council for Archaeozoology - ICAZ Save Sheffield Archaeology