A new approach to raw material use in the exploitation of animal carcasses at BK (Upper Bed II, Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania): a micro‐photogrammetric and geometric morphometric analysis of fossil cut marks

Abstract

The use of innovative techniques such as micro‐photogrammetry and geometric morphometrics may have a major impact on the differentiation of cut marks made with different raw materials and, thus, link butchering processes with stone tool reduction sequences. This work focuses on a sample of cut‐marked bones from the Bell's Korongo (BK) site (Upper Bed II, Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania), which is an emblematic early Pleistocene site where a large faunal assemblage, including a diverse megafauna, occurs in association with quartzite and basalt industries. We present a detailed study of a sample of 58 cut marks identified on a set of recently excavated BK fossils, using a micro‐photogrammetric and geometric morphometric approach, with the aim of identifying the raw materials used in the butchery of carcasses. In order to carry out this study, we previously carried out an experimental analysis to characterize cut marks and their morphology according to the types of raw material found at BK, namely quartzite and basalt. The results from the experimental study show that there is a good fit between raw material type and cut mark morphology, enabling us to confidently apply this method to the analysis of the cut marks of the BK fossil assemblage. The present study shows that most of the BK cut marks were created by the use of quartzite tools. The efficiency of this type of raw material is emphasized, which explains its curation over the landscape by hominins.