Collagen is the most abundant protein in ancient animal tissues. After extraction, collagen can be broken down into its building blocks, peptides. The masses of these peptides can be measured with a MALDI mass spectrometer. Identifying specific combinations of peptide masses within a bone allows it to be assigned to a specific animal taxon. This ZooMS method has been applied successfully to archaeological samples from different time periods. The broader potential of ZooMS is twofold. Firstly, it changes our knowledge of human subsistence, including site use, species diversity, and carcass processing behaviour. Secondly, it can identify human remains that do not retain enough features to be identified morphologically. ZooMS has now successfully identified human remains from a range of Palaeolithic archaeological contexts.