Animals as Symbols—Past Perception of Animals by Humans, the Zooarchaeological Evidence
Human–animal relations in the past are reflected in the zooarchaeological record in various ways—in the way prey animals were hunted and domesticated, how farm animals were raised and treated, as well as the interaction with pet animals, and animals’ roles in ritual behavior. A symbolic value may have been attributed to wild and domestic animals—a value that was based on their interaction with, and their perception by, past human populations. These symbolic roles may be archaeologically visible in rituals, but are also expressed in daily life activities, when animals and their products are used as tools to define status, group identity, and culture, among other roles.
Original manuscripts that address any aspect of the use of animals as symbols in the past are invited for this Special Issue. Topics of special interest include but are not limited to the changing relationship with specific animals (both wild and domestic animals) over time, and the use of animals by different cultures.
Animals/ (ISSN 2076-2615, IF: 2.323) is an international open access journal devoted entirely to animal science and animal welfare, published monthly online by MDPI. It is indexed in SCIE with the latest Impact Factor of 2.323, and ranks 10/63 (Q1) in 'Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science', 14/142 (Q1) in 'Veterinary Sciences'. Manuscripts are peer-reviewed and a first decision provided to authors approximately 22.5 days after submission. More information about the journal can be accessed at: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/animals.
עודכן: 19 בנוב׳ 2020
Dr. Sapir-Hen contribution , in a special addition of Biblical Archaeology Review for its 40th anniversary celebration, entitled "40 Futures: Experts Predict What's Next for Biblical Archaeology".
עודכן: 19 בנוב׳ 2020
Paper published in Antiquity 2014: 775-790.
Top Ten Biblical Archaeology Discoveris in 2014. Biblical Archaeology Society.
The popular image of metalworking sites in desert settings envisages armies of slaves engaged in back-breaking labour. This is in conflict with ethnographic evidence indicating that skilled specialist metalworkers are often accorded high social status. This study approaches that contradiction directly by studying the remains of domesticated food animals from domestic and industrial contexts at Timna in southern Israel. The authors demonstrate that the higher-value meat cuts come from industrial contexts, where they were associated with the specialist metalworkers, rather than the ‘domestic’ contexts occupied by lower status workers engaged in support roles. It is suggested that the pattern documented here could also have been a feature of early metalworking sites in other times and places.
