Abstract
Ichthyoarchaeological evidence is uncommon at ancient hunter-gatherer sites from various regions and timeframes. This research contributes to the development of microarchaeological techniques useful for identifying fishing economies in situations where classifiable bones are unavailable. Specifically, traces of heat altered bone mineral in domestic hearths are expected to provide markers for discarded fish remains. We used a series of laboratory incineration experiments to characterize the mineralogy of burned salmonid vertebrae. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction distinguished the formation of beta magnesium tricalcium phosphate (βMgTCP) at temperatures as low as 600 °C. Bones from a sample of game mammals and birds did not form this phase at temperatures below 1,000 °C. We propose that this neoformed mineral can serve as a proxy for hunter-gatherer salmonid fishing when typical ichthyoarchaeological evidence is absent. Using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, it will be possible to rapidly and inexpensively determine the presence of βMgTCP in fragmentary burned bone remains associated with combustion features. The occurrence of βMgTCP in archaeological hearth features will offer a new means of further evaluating the temporal, geographic, and cultural scope of salmonid harvesting. We also acknowledge the value of biphasic hydroxylapatite-βMgTCP recovered from Atlantic salmon vertebrae as a bioceramic.
Highlights
Aside from such examples, the importance of salmonid resources is unclear in many other places and timeframes
Heating experiments were undertaken on vertebrae from three individuals of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss irideus), rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), and Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua)
Weight losses displayed by unheated air-dried sub-samples after dissolution in 1N HCl showed that salmonid bones contained roughly 10% more acid insoluble organic matter than those of the other tested animals (Fig. 1)
Summary
Aside from such examples, the importance of salmonid resources is unclear in many other places and timeframes. Salmonid bones in specific can rapidly decompose because of their low mineral content and underdeveloped mineral-collagen interfacing[20, 21]. We propose the use of heat altered bone mineral as a microarchaeological indicator for salmonid fishing. It is of high importance to characterize the mineral properties of burned fish bones. Our results indicate that a newly formed phosphate mineral has potential as a marker for salmonid fishing where typical evidence is compromised. The occurrence of this mineral in hearths at hunter-gatherer archaeological sites will contribute to clarifying hunter-gatherer mobility strategies, economic diversification, and adaptations to frontier landscapes
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