Meat versus within-bone nutrients: Another look at the meaning of body part representation in archaeological sites

Abstract

Differences between body part representation of small and large domestic stock at Ngamuriak, a Pastoral Neolithic site in Kenya, are generally similar to those described for small and large wild animals at many other sites from different time periods. In order to explore the underlying reasons for the existence of these patterns at Ngamuriak, multiple regression was used to consider the value of meat, marrow, bone grease, and bone density for predicting body part representation. Caprine body part patterns could be predicted quite accurately by marrow and bone grease. Cattle body part patterns could not be predicted very well, and patterns were not so consistent. Within-bone nutrients and density were the most useful variables for predicting body part representation. These results, along with patterns of long bone breakage, suggest that the difference between caprines and cattle resulted from differences in bone processing. Since processing for within-bone nutrients at Ngamuriak created patterns of skeletal part representation that are similar to those attributed at other sites to meat transport, our results suggest that the role of within-bone nutrients should be examined before transport based on meat value is assumed.