Archaeological investigations of the human past require a multidisciplinary approach. This talk highlights one of those approaches, known as zooarchaeology, or the study of animal remains from archaeological sites. We will discuss methods commonly used in zooarchaeological research. The results of these methods are interpreted in light of ancient lifeways that include common routines that coincide with the economic management of animal assets that include subsistence, trade, and secondary use of animals. We will also consider the evidence that animals were used in ritual and sacred contexts.