The Archaeology of Animals: Case Studies from Ancient Peru

Why do archaeologists study animal remains? What can a fragment of bone or a broken tooth tell us about people who lived hundreds or thousands of years ago? In this talk, Dr. Weronika Tomczyk will explore how archaeologists use animal remains to reconstruct diets, environments, economies, and politics in ancient empires. Drawing on her research at archaeological sites (mainly) in the Peruvian Andes, she will show how various archaeological finds, including the exceptionally well-preserved remains such as feathers and stomach contents, provide remarkable glimpses into the lives of animals and the people who interacted with them. This program is hybrid: attend in person in the Mayer Room or by Zoom. Register for the Zoom invitation here. Dr. Weronika Tomczyk is an archaeologist and a postdoctoral fellow at Dartmouth’s Ecology, Evolution, Environment and Society Program. She specializes in complex analyses of animal bones excavated at archaeological sites and studies what they reveal about the politics of animal use in the past, especially in ancient empires. She has been working in Peru since 2012 but has also participated in archaeological investigations in the US (California) and Europe, including her native Poland.