Fat has been cast as a villain in our modern, Western society, but for many economies, past and present, the availability of foods rich in fat could mean the difference between life and death. But fat has more to offer than nutrition; fats can be used in waterproofing, as lubrication, and as a base for other items such as perfumes and cosmetics. This variety of use means that fats have been a valuable trading commodity for thousands of years. The various ways in which fats can be utilised has important implications for the archaeological record. The physical method(s) of extracting the fat from a dead animal will leave differing signs on the carcass, while the removal of fats while an animal is alive (such as milking) has been the focus of much ethnographic research. Then there is the matter of how the fats are stored...and so on. The zooarchaeological study of fats is a complex, interdisciplinary area of archaeology. The nineteen papers in this volume represent a firm foundation for further research into the past exploitation of this heroic substance.
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