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What is this course about?
What is this course about?
Course Overview
How do you analyze excavated animal bones and why?
Animals play many different roles in our lives, including as food, pets, tools, and symbols. This class introduces you to the study of animal remains retrieved from archaeological sites. The course will enable you to engage with your peers through in-class lab sessions and learn about zooarchaeology through readings, lectures, and activities. We will explore a wide range of topics, including functional morphology, vertebrate taphonomy, reconstruction of human diet from faunal remains, data collection and management, and methods of quantitative analysis.
Fish-shaped jar from a tomb in the Near East
Who is my instructor?
Who is my instructor?
You can call me Eréndira, Professor Quintana Morales, or Dr. Quintana Morales 🐠
About me
I’m Dr. Eréndira Quintana Morales (she/ella). I have been doing research in zooarchaeology for over a decade. One of the major reasons I love zooarchaeology is that I can explore areas where ecology, biology, and human experiences intersect. My approach to teaching is based on my experience as a collaborative researcher. Collaborating with people from different backgrounds, including students and researchers from various disciplines and people from the communities where I work, continuously transforms the way I think about the world and how I do my work. My goal is to help you develop the ability to work with and learn from people with different perspectives and to look at the world with curiosity and with a critical perspective. I believe these are key skills that will serve you no matter what career path you choose.
I'm here to help! You can contact me via email (erendira.mqm@ucsc.edu).
Our learning community
As your teacher, I am committed to working with you to create a learning environment where everyone feels appreciated and welcome so that we can all learn from each other. I encourage you to connect your experiences, knowledge, and interests to different topics in zooarchaeology to highlight the relevance of the past to the present. I will provide a wide range of tools and opportunities to help you practice communicating your ideas effectively, working with others, and thinking critically. I look forward to building a productive learning community with you during this course.
What texts do I need?
What texts do I need?
Most of the readings come from three books, which are all available for free using the links below. Additional texts and resources will be available on our Canvas Course Site. I recommend trying the links below so you know how to find the course texts easily. You will need to sign into your UCSC account to access the two books in Course Reserves.
What can I expect on Day 1?
What can I expect on Day 1?
Our first meeting is on September 26, 2024 at 11:45 am Pacific Time in Room 451 of Building Social Sciences 1. You can find our course material in our Canvas Course Site by logging into canvas.ucsc.edu. Our course will apear in your Canvas Dashboard one day before classes begin. I recommend looking through the syllabus to become familiar with the resources you need to succeed in the course.
During our first meeting, you can expect to do the following:
Introduce yourself
Learn to define Zooarchaeology
Get an overview of the course
Identify a mystery bone!
Please feel free to contact me via email (erendira.mqm@ucsc.edu) if you have any questions before the course begins.
Can you guess what animal this bone comes from?
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