Integrating ZooMS and Zooarchaeology Workshop

Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS) is transforming the breadth and scope of research engaging with species representation in historic and prehistoric contexts. ZooMS is employed across an array of disciplines and contexts as a staple tool for assisting with and assessing zooarchaeological identifications of animal material when morphological analysis is not sufficient.The ways in which ZooMS data can be integrated with traditional zooarchaeological analysis advances questions of prey selection, animal exploitation, and subsistence strategies and also provide sharper insights into our understanding of past human-animal relationships and behavior. The application of ZooMS is continually shaped by advancements in other proteomic disciplines, including improvements in reproducibility, minimally invasive techniques, and identifications from broader ranges of peptides. These developments pave the way for diverse and creative uses of ZooMS data, necessitating collaborative efforts across fields including molecular biology, biochemistry, archaeology, and faunal analyses. This workshop highlights an important juncture, marking 15 years since the introduction of ZooMS. In recognition of this milestone, this two day workshop will reflect on the evolution of methodologies over the past decade and a half, while also emphasizing future directions with presentations and discussions from researchers working in Pleistocene and Holocene contexts. After a day focused on presenting original uses of ZooMS alongside zooarchaeological data, this workshop aims to facilitate round table dialogues and support the growth of archaeological implementation and evaluation of present proteomic approaches and consider the future fifteen years of ZooMS applications.