Analysis Of Faunal Remains Research Articles

Human dispersal and plant processing in the Pacific 55 000–50 000 years ago

The dynamics of our species’ dispersal into the Pacific remains intensely debated. The authors present archaeological investigations in the Raja Ampat Islands, north-west of New Guinea, that provide the earliest known evidence for humans arriving in the Pacific more than 55 000–50 000 years ago. Seafaring simulations demonstrate that a northern equatorial route into New Guinea via the Raja Ampat Islands was a viable dispersal corridor to Sahul at this time. Analysis of faunal remains and a resin artefact further indicates that exploitation of both rainforest and marine resources, rather than a purely maritime specialisation, was important for the adaptive success of Pacific peoples.

Tracking shifts in Society Islands marine subsistence through time: Intra‐site analysis of faunal remains and fishing gear

AbstractWe discuss new data from Colonization Phase and Early Expansion/Development Phase assemblages in the pre‐contact Society Islands. We focus on analysis of marine faunal remains and fishing gear to infer diachronic shifts in subsistence practices at two well‐dated coastal sites. Both Colonization Phase (AD 950–1200) and Early Expansion Phase (AD 1200–1450) faunal assemblages are dominated by fish and mollusks as opposed to animal domesticates. Colonization Phase assemblages see higher capture of Scombrids and higher capture of marine mammals and turtle. Early Expansion fishhook assemblages and faunal remains document a movement towards increased capture of reef fish as well as the adoption of local styles and locally specific fishing practices. Overall, the diachronic trend in the Society Island diets is towards a decrease in turtle, marine mammal, and wild bird remains and an increase in terrestrial domesticated species roughly two hundred years after colonization, similar to patterns seen elsewhere in Eastern Polynesia.

An Early Neolithic Bone and Antler Industry of Rakushechny Yar on the Lower Don: Technological Strategies and Functional Context

The Early Neolithic site of Rakushechny Yar on the Lower Don evidences successive peopling of the coastal zone in the 6th millennium BC. Analysis of faunal remains, toolkit, and limited technological contexts suggest seasonal orientation of the site shown at least at the early stages. We present the results of the analysis of the Early Neolithic bone tools from Rakushechny Yar layers 23–11 of excavation I, and assess their place in the context of bone industries of the contemporaneous archaeological cultures. The collection is dominated by points. Despite the variable morphology, their preforms and manufacturing techniques are rather standard. Apart from points, two spatula-like tools and two specimens with beveled edges, made from red-deer antler, were found. A limited typological and functional set reveals a peculiar subsistence activity. The traceological analysis has highlighted a stable series of tools for working skins and processing coarse vegetable materials (possibly for basket weaving). Spatula-shaped tools were likely destined for processing mineral materials such as ceramics. Certain typological and technological parallels are found in the Northern Caspian and the Lower Volga regions, but especially in the Southern Caucasian Neolithic (Aratashen-Shulaveri-Shomutepe) traditions possibly originating from those of the Levant and Zagros.

At the edge of the desert: The evolution of the Holocene environment in Lake Rkiz, Senegal River valley

The analysis of faunal remains, pollen grains and other palynomorphs from a 4 m long core recovered at Lake Rkiz, Mauritania (16.911420 N, −15.172668 W, 0 m asl) documents the major phases of marine intrusion in the Senegal River system during the Holocene. Lake Rkiz was exposed to marine waters from 10 to 4 ka: a brackish lagoon developed at 10 ka, followed by a mangrove between 8.7 and 7 ka both in a calm environment. Rhizophora populations were never developed, however, either because they did not reach the core site at the northern extremity of the lake, or because they were restricted to the Senegal River bed. After 7 ka, the environment became increasingly unstable and the mangrove was replaced by a more clearly marine environment. During the last two millennia, a new, discrete phase of marine intrusion is recorded at Lake Rkiz. Contemporary to that already noted in the Ferlo River valley which feeds the Senegal River through Lake Guiers to the south, it also testifies to a positive oscillation of the sea level. The evolution of the regional vegetation of Lake Rkiz follows that of North tropical Africa with the expansion of a gallery forest of tropical humid affinity dominated by Celtis during the AHP. As elsewhere in the Sahara and Sahel, tropical plant types co-occurred with Saharan ones attesting to a mosaic-like landscape.

Subsistence and Persistence: Indigenous Foodways Within Mission Santa Clara de Asís

ABSTRACT This study explores the subsistence strategies and dietary practices of Indigenous people who resided in Mission Santa Clara de Asìs (1777–1836). Through the analysis of faunal remains from recent archaeological work of the ranchería, the housing location of Native families, this research reveals the persistence of Indigenous foodways within Mission Santa Clara. While colonization efforts by the Spanish impacted both local environments and traditional foodways, Native Californians continued to procure and utilize a high diversity of traditional wild fauna throughout the Mission Period. These findings provide evidence for the rearticulation and continuation of Indigenous foodways within the Mission despite social and environmental restrictions that limited access to wild resources.

An Integrated Zooarchaeological and Micromorphological Perspective on Midden Taphonomy at Late Neolithic Çatalhöyük

Abstract The disposal of cultural material at Çatalhöyük, Turkey (7100–5950 cal BCE) has created substantial midden deposits between buildings and within abandoned houses. These consist of a variety of materials, including environmental remains such as eggshell, mollusks, seeds, phytoliths, charcoal, fecal material, along with artefacts including pottery, figurines, beads, and lithics. Animal bone and human bone also form a significant component. Understanding the taphonomy of these deposits and their formation processes is essential in order to interpret the activities represented. Here we present a taphonomic analysis of middens from the TP Area of the site (Late Neolithic, Final Phase), in terms of natural and cultural alterations to bone, through a combination of zooarchaeological analysis, with micromorphological analysis of associated sedimentary contexts. Comparisons with studies of the earlier middens enable us to account for post-depositional processes, and the implications they have for interpreting past activities and waste management practices. Integrating sediment micromorphological analysis enables refinement of the taphonomic interpretations from the analysis of faunal remains and highlights the advantages of a multi-proxy approach.

The Temple and the Town at Early Bronze Age I Megiddo: Faunal Evidence for the Emergence of Complexity

The Early Bronze Age is considered to be the period when complex and hierarchical societies first developed in the southern Levant. The appearance of specialization and social complexity is manifested through different aspects of the production stages of animal economy. In this paper, we examine faunal assemblages from two interconnected contemporaneous neighboring sites of differing characters in the Jezreel Valley, Israel: Megiddo, a cult site, and Tel Megiddo East, a town site. Both assemblages are dated to the Early Bronze Age IB (EB IB; 3090–2950 b.c.e.), at the dawn of urbanization in the Near East. The connection between sites, revealed in previous studies of other aspects, is supported by the analysis of faunal remains that reveals intriguing overlaps and divergences. The results of the current study show that the control of resources by the Great Temple in Megiddo also included access to animals and their products, and that it impacted the animal economy in settlements in its hinterland. The impact of this system demonstrates the Great Temple at the center of a larger regional economic organization in the late EB IB that would presage the urban developments of the EB II–III.

Zooarchaeology of Mission Santa Clara de Asìs: Bone Fragmentation, Stew Production, and Commensality

Through the analysis of faunal remains from refuse features associated with the Native Californian living quarters at Mission Santa Clara de Asìs, the article examines Indigenous diet within this colonial mission settlement. In Alta California, Native Californians from differing sociolinguistic groups were relocated to Spanish missions, creating an ever shifting pluralistic society. Within these mission settlements, Native Californians were tasked with maintaining the vast agricultural fields for which they received ingredients for two Spanish-style meals, atole and pozole. This study examines the diet of Native Californian families living within Mission Santa Clara, specifically focusing on the breakage patterns of cattle bones and the communal preparation, cooking, and consumption of these daily meals. These results illustrate change and continuity of foodway practices, expanding our understanding of mission political economies and Native Californian persistence within this colonial system.

The Approaches of Archaeological Science in Korea

인문·사회과학의 다른 분과와는 달리 고고학은 자연과학의 여러 분야와 학제적 형태로 연구가 수행되는 고고과학, 혹은 고고계측학의 분야를 포함하고 있다. 과학적 방법론에 토대를 둔 이 연구 분야에서 내놓은 연대측정, 고환경, 유물의 생산기술과 산지, 동물과 식물유체의 분석을 통한 생업과 식단, 혹은 고대DNA에 관한 연구 결과는 고고학 지식의 성장에 더 없이 중요한 기여를 했다. 이와 같은 과학적 방법론이 한국 고고학에 도입되어 성장해 온 과정을 살피고앞으로의 전망에 대해 논의해 볼 필요성 때문에 이 논문이 작성되었다. 1970년대 후반 고환경의 연구와 제작기술의 복원과 산지 추정을 위한 토기분석에서 시작된 한국에서의 고고과학 연구는 고고금속학, 동물유체의 연구로 확산되어 갔고, 화학, 지질학, 지리학, 생물학 분야의 연구자들의 참여도 있었다. 하지만 2000년대 이후부터 연대측정, 고환경과 유적입지, 고고금속학, 고고화학, 동물유체, 식물유체, 인골, 지질고고학과 잔존유기물 분석 등의 자료를 분석할 수 있는전문연구자들이 생겨났으며 연구 성과도 체계적으로 축적되기 시작했고 지금은 고고과학의 여러 분야에서 커다란 발전이 있었다. 그러나 고고과학의 연구 성과는 여전히 한국고고학의 논의에 폭넓게 확산되어 있지 않으며, 고고학자와자연과학자 사이의 학제적 토론도 그리 활발하지 못한 편이다. 특히 고고과학 연구가 지속적으로 성장하고 한국 고고학의 발전에 기여하려면 전문 연구자의 연구프로젝트 수행이 보장될 수 있는 제도적, 그리고 재정적 지원체계가 필요하다.Unlike other branches of humanities and social sciences, archaeology includes various fields of the archaeological science, where natural scientists and archaeologists work together to conduct a research in the interdisciplinary way. The results of archaeometric research, related to chronometric dating, palaeoenvironment, ancient technology, subsistence and diet, has made a great contribution to the growth of archaeological knowledge. This paper was written because of the need to examine the process in which scientific methodologies have been introduced and grown in Korean archaeology and discuss future prospects. In the late 1970s, the archaeological science in Korea, which began with the study of paleoenvironment and ceramic analyses to understand the technology and provenance, expanded to the archaeometallurgy, geoarchaeology and the analysis of faunal remains. It was not until the 2000s that the specialized researchers from each field emerged, various projects of archaeological science were carried out, and systematic research became possible. However, the results of scientific analyses are still not widely accepted in the discussion of Korean archaeology, and the interdisciplinary communication between archaeologists and natural scientists is not so active. In order for the scientific approach to continue to grow and its achievements to contribute to the development of Korean archaeology, an institutional and financial support system is needed to ensure the various research projects of archaeological science.

Revision excavations of the Upper Paleolithic site in Moravany nad Váhom-Podkovica (Slovak Republic)

The Paleolithic site in Moravany nad Váhom-Podkovica is located in the north-eastern part of the Moravian settlement area and is among the most famous Upper Paleolithic sites in Slovakia. It is a key site of the Willendorf-Kostenkian and the so-called shouldered Point Horizon in Central Europe. Despite decades of research, interest during the previous century and the numerous existing – but lost or scattered – collections, the context of the finds and the characteristics of the cultural layers remain almost unknown. Modern research methods and the absence of the relevant chrono-cultural classification of the assemblages led to reopening the field research. This research aims to review and reassess the results of older excavations, to identify the exact location of the site and the conditions of the preservation of the layers. The goal is also to collect new material suitable for multidisciplinary analysis and dating as most of the old collections have been scattered. The new excavations conducted at the site in 2016 and 2019 brought interesting results, such as a preserved anthropogenic layer with an evident structure filled with datable material. This article presents the methodology and the results of this work with a focus on the first mineralogical evaluations, the analysis of faunal remains and an overview of the stone industry.

Taphonomic analysis of horse remains from Mousterianand Aurignacian Units from Bize-Tournal Cave(Aude, France)

The study of ungulate assemblages is essential to understand hominins and carnivore behavior and interactions. For this reason, many studies involve the taphonomic analysis of faunal remains, focusing on the identification of the various biotic actors. This study looks at the horse assemblages from Mousterian and Aurignacian Units I, II and III from Bize-Tournal cave with the aim to characterizing the nature of this accumulation. Here we show that the horse remains in these units are mainly the consequence of carnivoran activity. Unit II also clearly evidences the fact that the assemblage is the result of hyena activity. Our analysis indicates a predominance of cranial remains and lower long limb bones (metapodials). The mortality profiles of the three units are different, although two are classic of a cursorial predator. Taphonomical and statistical analysis indicated that carnivores were the main modifying agent at the three units. Our results demonstrate that hominins played a minor role in horse accumulation. Additionally, it seems that there was little difference in the exploitation in this specie by Mousterian and Aurignacian groups, and this probably took place during short, sporadic hominin occupations.

The curious case of bunnies: interpretation of the lagomorph index from Homol’ovi I, Room 733

Applications of lagomorph indices to faunal assemblages in the American Southwest have produced a complex series of hypotheses and explanations for the changing ratio between Sylvilagus (cottontail rabbits) and Lepus (jackrabbits) in the archaeological record. Archaeologists attribute shifts in the lagomorph index (LI) to variation in the natural environment, modification of the landscape by Native Americans, changes in human hunting behaviors, and depression of Lepus populations through differential hunting. Couched within the logic of human behavioral ecology (HBE), LI attempts to connect species representation to environmental change and human decision-making. The varied ecosystems, cultures, and environments of the American Southwest complicate this connection and make some interpretations better suited to different subregions. In this paper, we report results from the analysis of faunal remains from Room 733 at Homol’ovi I, an ancestral Hopi site near Winslow, Arizona. Room 733 dates to the Late Homol’ovi Phase (LHP) 1385–1400 but also includes dates from the Early Homol’ovi Phase (EHP) 1330–1365. We calculate the LI for both phases to evaluate different explanations for shifts in the LI relative to regional moisture patterns. We find that while most explanations for changing LI are interconnected, changing environmental moisture, human hunting behaviors, and depression of Lepus populations do not fully explain the shifting LI. We suggest that human niche construction provides the most satisfactory explanation for changing lagomorph representation in the assemblage from Homol’ovi Room 733.

Preservation of seasonally abundant waterfowl? Analysis of faunal remains from middens at the Pre-Pottery Neolithic a site of Shubayqa 6 in northeast Jordan

There is extensive evidence for extraction of grease and fat from bones of ungulates at Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene sites in the Southern Levant. Excavations at Shubayqa 6 identified an area where extensive processing of carcasses took place during the transition between the Late Natufian to Early Pre-Pottery Neolithic A (PPNA). Large quantities of fire-cracked basalt, highly fragmented faunal remains and burnt bones indicate that grease and fat were extracted on a large scale. Spatial analysis demonstrates that bird remains were discarded in the same location where this fat rendering took place. Waterfowl dominate the assemblage and would have been present mainly in the winter. Body-part representation of the bird remains suggests that this abundance of avifauna resulted in people selectively processing the carcasses of the wetland birds they hunted. Gazelles would have been in peak condition at this time of year with higher concentrations of fat stored in their bodies. This seasonal glut of resources contrasts with the summer, especially late summer, when most of the commonly hunted bird species were absent and the gazelle in relatively poor condition. People, aware of seasonal cycles in resource abundance, may have preserved foods when available. Storing fat conserves resources for leaner times. Compared to the Natufian site of Shubayqa 1, fewer young gazelle in the faunal remains at Shubayqa 6 is an indication that hunting either targeted mature animals or was more intense in the winter when fewer young animals are present. Carcasses from juvenile animals are comprised of less fat and the association of the adult gazelle carcasses with the bird remains suggests that the two resources were processed alongside one another. Preservation of foodstuffs for leaner months of the year may have been one potential outcome of this activity.

Oase de animale din aşezarea neolitică târzie de la Uivar, județul Timiş. Eșantionul din S. XI / Animal bones from the late Neolithic settlement of Uivar, Timiș County. The sample from S. XI

Oase de animale din aşezarea neolitică târzie de la Uivar, județul Timiş. Eșantionul din S. XI / Animal bones from the late Neolithic settlement of Uivar, Timiș County. The sample from S. XI

Why did the Chicken cross the Ocean: an Analysis of Faunal Remains from the Emanuel Point Shipwrecks [University of West Florida, Pensacola

The purpose of this research project is to determine, through analysis, what species of animals were being utilized onboard the Spanish ships during the Tristán de Luna expedition of 1559. In order to accomplish this goal, I will be analyzing faunal remains recovered from the three Emanuel Point Shipwrecks: EPI, EPII, and EPIII. This research is important because the analysis will allow us to better understand and interpret the lives of the Spaniards onboard the ships during the Luna expedition through their diet. In 1559, Luna attempted to create the first permanent settlement in Florida, the purpose of which was to construct a chain of missions along the gulf coast (Hudson 1989). These Missions would serve as a crucial component for both converting Native Americans and supporting previously shipwrecked Spaniards (Hudson 1989). The establishment of a permanent settlement in the gulf also had political implications; a colony would mark the Spaniards claim to La Florida and serve to prevent other countries from establishing their own colonies (Arnade 1959, Hudson 1989). Under the command of Luna were a total of eleven ships, carrying close to fifteen hundred individuals and enough supplies to last a year (Worth 2009). Food, or the lack thereof, was one aspect which served detrimental to the success of the expeditions which came before Luna (Worth 2009). Because of this, the Luna expedition was planned to include enough food to last the Spaniards until crops could be sown and harvested (Worth 2009). Not long after the Spanish arrived, however, Pensacola was struck by a powerful hurricane, sinking seven of Luna’s ships (Arnade 1959, Milanich 1995, Worth 2009). Most, if not all, of the supplies were still onboard the ships when they went down during the hurricane because a permanent storehouse had not yet been constructed (Arnade 1959, Milanich 1995, Worth 2009). Since the time of their sinking, 459 years ago, three of the seven ships that were lost have been discovered. The first Emanuel Point shipwreck was discovered in 1992 by a group of archaeologists from Florida’s Division of Historical Resources. The University of West Florida’s archaeology program joined the project in 1996. In total, 8,848 individual organic fragments have been recovered from Emanuel Point I alone; these include the remains of fish, shark, reptile, bird and mammal bones. All of these materials are kept in the maritime conservation lab, where they are processed and then conserved. Afterwards, they are moved to the Collection Management Building on campus for storage and future study by both faculty and students. In order for the remains to be analyzed, they must first be preserved through a process called desalination. This process, conducted in the laboratory incorporates the use of tap water and eventually deionized water to remove most, if not all, salts from the bones. After the bones are desalinated, they go through a process called consolidation. Consolidation allows the bones to be safely exposed to the atmosphere without deteriorating, warping, or excessively cracking; this is accomplished by soaking the bones in a solution of Elmer’s glue and water, usually a 50/50 solution, after which they can be left to air dry. Once the bones are desalinated, consolidated and dried, they are stable and can then be analyzed. I will be analyzing the faunal material for specific taphonomy characteristics linking them to consumption by humans. These taphonomic characteristics can include cut marks, breaks, bone splitting, and the presence of teeth marks; all of these can directly correlate the remains with butchering or consumption. To conduct species specific identification, I will be working with the Division of Anthropology and Archaeology’s faunal specialist, Mrs. Cathy Parker, and her comparative type collections. Through this analysis, I will be able to determine the specific species of animals that were being utilized as food by the Spanish and were onboard the ships during their sinking. This study will allow a new glimpse into the life of the Spanish sailors during Tristán de Luna’s fateful 1559 expedition to establish the first permanent settlement along Florida’s Gulf Coast.

Neue Einblicke in die entwickelte Phase der Neolithisierung auf dem Zentralbalkan. Erste Ausgrabungen in Svinjarička Čuka 2018

This article discusses recent findings from the newly identified archaeological site of Svinjaricka Cuka, situated next to the Southern Morava River in southern Serbia. We will present the latest results from the excavation, material studies, bioarchaeological analyses and contextualised radiocarbon data, focusing on the Starcevo Neolithic horizon within the context of the new NEOTECH project. The interdisciplinary approach aims to shed light on the Neolithisation process of the region along one of the main communication routes between the Aegean and the Danube by the Axios-Vardar-Morava river system. The work so far has uncovered remains of Early to Middle Neolithic features dating around 5600 calBC, with analyses of faunal remains, ceramics and lithics contributing new insights into animal exploitation, raw materials and technological practices during this important time of socio-economic transition.

Perinatal Human Remains from Poggio Civitate (Murlo): A Preliminary Presentation

Abstract Comprehensive analysis of faunal remains from the Etruscan settlement of Poggio Civitate was initiated in 2011. During the analysis of zoological materials collected in past and ongoing excavations, several human skeletal specimens were identified. Stratigraphically these bones are tied to the site’s Orientalizing period of architectural development. Analysis of the human assemblage, which to date includes 47 specimens, shows that the bones represent perinates who died around the time of birth. Furthermore, none of the remains come from archaeological contexts reflective of formal, ritualized disposition. Instead, the bones all derive from large deposits of animal and cultural debris, and most come from refuse deposits that are concentrated around areas of non-elite domestic and industrial activities. This emerging pattern suggests that during the seventh century B. C. E. mortuary behaviors surrounding perinatal death at Poggio Civitate were markedly different from those associated with older individuals. Rather than the easily observable, formal cemetery interment that was accorded to mature members of the community, perinates were disposed of in a private, informal manner that is archaeologically far less visible.

Osteological and stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N) analysis of faunal remains from Khami, Zimbabwe

ABSTRACTThis paper presents distribution patterns and stable carbon and nitrogen isotope measurements of recently excavated faunal remains from two middens at Khami, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Zimbabwe. The middens are dated to c. AD 1475–1650. The results of the analysis indicate that food practices may have differed between high- and low-lying areas of the site, as reflected in the two excavated contexts studied here. δ13C values of serial samples of tooth dentine show that cattle and wild grazers consumed C4 grasses year-round. The availability of rich natural grazing would have been a considerable attraction to the builders of the site.

A Contextual Analysis of Ritual Fauna and Socially Integrative Architecture in the Tonto Basin, Arizona

The frequent deposition of animals in public spaces suggests a key role in public rituals in the prehispanic U.S. Southwest. Using ethnographic evidence and large-scale analysis of faunal remains in the Tonto Basin area of central Arizona, I ask whether ritual fauna cluster in socially integrative spaces and what implications this had for integrating migrant Puebloan populations with local people. The Tonto Basin area is typically considered Hohokam, but exhibits influence from neighboring Sinagua and Puebloan regions. The emergence of the Salado phenomenon and public architecture in the region is evidence of broad sociopolitical and religious change involving specific treatments and storage of fauna. I find that ritual fauna cluster in room contexts associated with socially integrative architecture suggest a centralization of ritual practice and storage. Ultimately, Tonto Basin communities targeted specific taxa for the enactment of public activities, aiding in the integration of non-local people.

Neo-Inuit strategies for ensuring food security during the Little Ice Age climate change episode, Foxe Basin, Arctic Canada

This paper examines Neo-Inuit (ca. AD 1250 to present) responses to the decreased temperatures of the Little Ice Age (LIA) climate change episode (ca. AD 1300–1900) in the Foxe Basin region of central Nunavut, Arctic Canada. Cooler temperatures (and increased sea ice) would be expected to have reduced both bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) and Atlantic walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) habitats, forcing Neo-Inuit to refocus their hunting activities on landfast-ice-dwelling small seals (e.g., Pusa hispida) during winter months. However, an analysis of faunal remains from Foxe Basin's largest-known Neo-Inuit (Thule, historic and modern Inuit) archaeological site, Pingiqqalik (NgHd-1), reveals a long-term subsistence economy based largely on multi-seasonal walrus hunting. Two interrelated factors may explain these results: (1) a system of recurring polynyas provided a degree of ecological stability for local walrus populations, and (2) the development of a distinctive walrus caching regime—a form of which continues among the region's contemporary Inuit—allowed residents to adeptly exploit an ecological niche, thereby ensuring food security. Together, these factors likely insulated northern Foxe Basin Neo-Inuit from the worst effects of the LIA.