Zooarchaeology of Managed, Captive, Tame, and Domestic Birds: Shifts in Human–Avian Relationships

Abstract

In this paper, I review archaeological evidence for shifting human–avian interactions. Many species of birds, altering their behavior in response to anthropogenic niche construction, experienced an increased encounter rate with humans. Intensification of this relationship led to management and domestication of some taxa. An examination of the methods zooarchaeologists employ to study this changing interaction illustrates the limitations of evidence. Art history, architecture, historical sources, evidence based on modern distributions, and DNA analysis fill in some gaps in our knowledge. It is necessary to develop novel methods to investigate the earlier history of bird–human interactions. We also need to consider other taxa behaviorally amenable to domestication, as there was probably a diverse array of past human–bird relationships that remain unknown. Archaeologically, the relationship between people and birds is fundamental to understanding many symbolic and economic practices central to human societies. This review highlights the varied relationships between humans and birds globally allowing cross-regional examination.