The Archaeology of Pet Taxidermy

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Mortuary Monuments and Archaeology: Current Research" , at the 2020 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

The 19th century is considered a watershed for changing human-animal relationships in North America and Europe. During this time, pets occupied increasingly central roles within households, animal welfare institutions became more widespread and animal breeding practices were standardized. In Victorian Britain, public pet cemeteries appeared in various cities; but not all individuals were commemorated in such formal spaces. Taxidermy represents one way treasured companions could be remembered and used to maintain a presence within the house. Formerly living bodies were transformed into material culture, shaped and positioned in the specific ways people wanted to remember their pets, thus providing an insight on their relationship. This paper investigates the changing roles of animals in people’s lives and their perceived roles in the afterlife. It does so by taking a material culture and archaeological approach to the study of taxidermy, looking at how these objects were made and displayed.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2020   •
• Mortuary Monuments and Archaeology: Current Research

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Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 503