Animal Agency and Coastal Archaeology

Abstract

Until more archaeologists, not just faunal analysts and taphonomists, recognize the range and variety of animals that can deposit marine or estuarine animal remains into archaeological localities, insufficient research attention will be paid to distinguishing taphonomic agents. As demonstrated elsewhere (Erlandson and Moss 2001), an understanding of the antiquity of coastal adaptations and the nature of marine resource use in certain contexts requires careful assessment of noncultural sources of faunal remains in coastal settings. To address such problems, understanding the ecology of those nonhuman animals whose taphonomic signatures can mimic some of the characteristics of hominid middens is crucial.