More than 30 scholars from universities, research institutions, and cultural heritage organizations attended the International Symposium on the Application of Interdisciplinary Research in Zooarchaeology, which was held at the Qingdao Campus of Shandong University from July 28 to 29.

The symposium featured presentations on animal evolution and domestication, taphonomy, skeletal pathology, ancient industries, subsistence practices, ritual activities, and interdisciplinary research platforms. Researchers discussed archaeological evidence from China and sites in Serbia and Cyprus.

Participants examined how ancient DNA analysis, stable isotope analysis, proteomics and radiocarbon dating can complement traditional studies of animal bones. These methods allow researchers to identify species more accurately, trace animal movement, investigate domestication, and breeding practices, and explore how animals were utilized by past societies.

Hu Songmei, a professor at the School of Archaeology, Shandong University, presented a case in which ancient DNA analysis helped researchers reidentify an incomplete animal skull previously classified through morphological examination.

Animal remains can shed light on the formation of early states and changes in socialstructures. Studies of Bronze Age bone production traced the development of craft activities. Research on animal sacrifice and cattle migration demonstrated that remains can reveal population migration, cultural integration, regional exchange, and the emergence of complex societies.

As research advances, zooarchaeology has become an important field that connects archaeology, life sciences, and the study of human history. The symposium also highlighted new directions for the field through international and interdisciplinary collaboration.

By studying animal remains through multiple methods, researchers can gain a more detailed understanding of ancient economies, human mobility, cultural interaction, and social transformations.