Dear Eve,
This reference might help you with this problem.
Zeder, MA and Lapham H 2010. Assessing the reliability of criteria used to post-cranial bones in sheep, Ovis, and goats, Capra. Journal of Archaeological Science. (senior author with Heather Lapham) 37: 2887-2905
I can send you a pdf if you'd like.
Melinda
Melinda A. Zeder
Senior Scientist, Program in Human Ecology and Archaeobiology
Curator, Old World Archaeology
Department of Anthropology
National Museum of Natural History
Smithsonian Institution
Mailing Address:
45 Gold Trail
Santa Fe, NM 87508
Phone: 703 626-9118
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From: Analysis of animal remains from archaeological sites [[log in to unmask]] on behalf of Eve Richardson [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Friday, February 06, 2015 1:11 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [ZOOARCH] goats as farmyard animals
Interesting question! At least for me, because I've started writing a novel set in Anglo-Saxon times - in a period of famine - and have tried to figure out what animals a family might have had - and tried to avoid eating.
As far as I know, it's been difficult to distinguish between sheep and goat bones on archaeological sites (please correct me if i'm wrong; I think I may have missed a reply that relates to this) and I've assumed that families would mostly have had sheep out of need for the wool. But now I wonder if they'd have also kept a goat specifically for the milk/cheese - they'd be easier to feed in winter than cows, no? (This being England I'm thinking of.)
Sorry - that's no answer to the question, but any additional responses would be most welcome.
Eve
On 06-Feb-2015 10:43 AM, Haskel Greenfield wrote:
Hi. It is my sense that goats are selected for farmyard animals more so than sheep because of their ability to produce milk. However, does anyone have any literature or insight that shows a genetic predisposition on the part of goats to be used as farmyard animals (e.g. do they bond better with humans, produce more or better milk, etc.)?
Best
Haskel
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