Farm, Hunt, Feast, Celebrate

Building on the experience of twenty-five years of fieldwork and archaeozoological analyses carried out during research projects in various regions of northern France, this book examines animal husbandry and hunting practices over the 5000 year period from the first sedentary groups to the more evolved societies, corresponding to the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Age.

This approach is based on the processing of a very large amount of data, from sources as varied as settlements, assembly places, cemeteries and other distinctive sites. The study looks in detail at domestic consumption in houses, villages and enclosures, as well as addressing feasting, ceremonial deposition and the role of animals in the funerary sphere.

Intra-site and inter-site spatial analysis of a portion of the data has also been one of the keys to gaining certain levels of understanding and interpretation of the societies in question.

By examining the evidence at different spatial scales, from site to territorial level, a picture can be outlined of the probable social mechanisms at work. This approach highlights the changing complexity of practices involving people and animals.

This book offers a contribution to the broad field of research into how people interact with their natural, cultural and social environments.

Contents
1 Chrono-cultural background
2 Domestic consumption on habitation sites: houses, villages, enclosures, un-enclosed settlements
3 Collective meals
4 Cultural manifestations
5 The animal in the funerary realm
6 Throwing light on social mechanisms
7 General conclusion