The eastern wood rat ( Neotoma floridana) as a taphonomic factor in archaeological sites

Abstract

Bones from six animal taxa were experimentally introduced into an active wood rat denning site in a rock shelter on the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee. After 6 months, patterns were examined relative to taxonomy, element selection, weight selection, rapidity and distance of bone movement, and gnawing. These analyses demonstrate that wood rats can affect significant changes in the character of an archaeofaunal assemblage through their compulsive acquisitive tendencies. The presence of wood rats in enclosed sites may result in a complex and confusing array of conditions that zoo-archaeologists will want to recognize before applying basic quantitative techniques to a related faunal assemblage.