Assessing the distribution of Asian Palaeolithic sites: a predictive model of collagen degradation

Abstract

Having previously shown that there is a statistically significant relationship between areas of low collagen degradation and the location of archaeological sites in Africa [K.M. Holmes, K.A. Robson Brown, W.P. Oates, M.J. Collins, Assessing the distribution of African Palaeolithic sites: a predictive model of collagen degradation, Journal of Archaeological Science 32 (2005) 157–166], we here test the applicability of the same model on Palaeolithic archaeological remains from Asia. Our results show a more complex relationship between the distribution of archaeological sites and areas of low collagen degradation than was previously identified for Africa. Several factors appear to overshadow the link between collagen degradation and site location over Asia including the size of the continent, environmental extremes, taphonomy and excavation bias. However, in southern Asia a relationship does exist between collagen loss and site location, with archaeological sites found in areas of relatively low collagen degradation. In this region the model may represent a profitable way of highlighting areas suitable for further archaeological research.