Archaeozoology in the Eastern Adriatic

Until the 1950’s, archaeology in the Eastern Adriatic region was focused on Classical and Medieval periods, when prehistoric archaeology came to light. However, the focus stayed on artifacts and architecture, while remains of animals were neglected. The only exception was palaeontological research on Pleistocene faunas by Mirko Malez. True archaeozoological research started in the 1980’s with the emergence of multidisciplinary, international, systematic excavations followed by faunal analyses. Archaeozoology is now recognized by most archaeologists as elementary for understanding the nature of the site and its formation. The aim of this paper is to present the state of art in archaeozoology in this region. The subject is divided into sections covering: 1) The evolution of this discipline as practiced for different periods (Palaeontology, Prehistory, Classical/Medieval periods); 2) The organizational structures, approaches, and backgrounds of archaeozoologists; 3) Thematic directions of current research (subsistence, economy, rituals, identity).