Animal ecologists can observe the present and reconstruct the last 
one or two centuries from historical sources, but the study of animal 
bones adds valuable insight into the peoples and landscapes of the 
past while telling much about the evolution of human-animal 
relationships. In this standard work, now available in paperback, 
O'Connor offers a detailed overview of the study of animal bones. 
He analyzes bone composition and structure and the archaeological 
evidence left by the processes of life, death, and decomposition. He 
goes on to look at how bone is excavated, examined, described, 
identified, measured, and reassembled into skeletons. The bulk of 
the book is devoted to the interpretation of bone fragments, which 
tell much about the animals themselves—their health, growth, diet, 
injuries, and age at death.

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Number Four: Texas A&M University Anthropology Series