The study of animal remains from archaeological sites: Zooarchaeology includes the identification and analysis of animal species as an aid to reconstructing human diets, determining the impact of animals on past economies, and in understanding the environment at the time.

Zooarchaeologists attempt to answer questions such as how many species of domesticated animals there were, how far wild animals were exploited, how many very young animals there were to determine kill patterns and climate changes, in what way bones were butchered, what the sex ratios there were in determining breeding strategies, and if there were any animals of unusual size.