From Pests to Pets: social and cultural perceptions of animals in post-medieval urban centres

Summary

Cats, dogs, pigs and other animals lived in close proximity to people in post-medieval cities and were probably viewed in terms of their respective functions. For example, cats were kept to deter rodents and exploited for their fur, dogs were protectors of the home and pigs were not only food, but helped to reduce the amount of rubbish where they were kept. However, perceptions and treatment of urban animals were far from static. The emergent animal welfare movement and legislation heralded a change in the species and numbers of animals present in the urban environment and altered human-animal relationships. Now people are detached from 'livestock' (e.g. pigs), but have developed closer bonds with companion animals (e.g. cats, dogs, etc.). This paper will draw upon zooarchaeological and historical evidence in an attempt to detect the timing of this transition and highlight some key factors in the accompanying shift in human-animal relationships. 

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Animals in the Urban Environment AD 1500 - 1900   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2013

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Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 554