Analysis Of Faunal Remains Research Articles

Exploitation Of Aquatic Fauna During The Metal Age In Bukit Kamiri, Semporna, Sabah, Malaysia

This article discussed on the analysis of faunal remains from the aquatic environment uncovered from Bukit Kamiri, Semporna, Sabah, Malaysia. Based on the result of archeozoological analysis, the reptile, fish and mollusc remains from the Metal Age cultural layer were consisted of various fish and molluscs species of freshwater, estuarine, mangrove swamp, coastal, coral reef and marine habitats. A range of fishing, hunting and gathering methods were used to obtain the various types of food and resources. Besides their diet, the reptile, fish and mollusc remains also show that it was used multi-purposely as grave goods, based on its association with the finding of human burial.

Faunal remains from the Islamic fort at Luluyyah (Sharjah, UAE)

Knowledge about human subsistence and the role of animal economy in the Islamic period of south‐east Arabia is still sketchy. The analysis of faunal remains from the coastal fort at Luluyyah (Sharjah, UAE), dated to the late thirteenth and early fourteenth century CE, provides some information. People depended on marine resources and domestic animals, a trait observable in the region since the Neolithic. Livestock breeding was not particularly developed. Judging by the distribution of their skeletal remains, the animals were slaughtered at the fort, implying that they either lived there or reached it alive.

Reconstructing animal husbandry: Trauma in Meleagris gallopavo (domestic turkey) ulnae from the American Southwest (c. 900–1678 CE)

Palaeopathological and metrical analyses of faunal remains have the potential to illuminate features of past husbandry practices including demography, stocking, injury and care, housing, transport and movement, diet, and breeding. This paper presents the results of metrical and palaeopathological analyses of turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) remains from nine assemblages excavated from sites across the American Southwest.Metrical data demonstrate variation in the size and overall morphology of turkeys across these sites and support the idea that meat production was not the sole purpose for turkey husbandry. The most frequently-occurring type of lesion in any skeletal element was trauma (physical injury), and 36% of these pathologies were present in ulnae. Lesions in ulnae at five sites provide evidence for the possibility that feathers were harvested from live turkeys at some sites.

An Analysis of Archaeofauna Recovered from a Russian Period Camp on St. Paul Island, Pribilof Islands, Alaska

This paper examines the history of the early Russian-American settlement of Zapadni (XPI-007) on St. Paul Island in the Pribilofs. An analysis of faunal remains recovered from the site during archaeological work done in association with The St. Paul History and Archaeology Project, led by Douglas Veltre and Allen McCartney in 2000 and 2001, supplements oral and written historical records. These well-preserved archaeofauna provide insight into the ethnic identity of the Unangax laborers who harvested northern fur seals ( Callorhinus ursinus ) near the site between AD 1787 and the early 1800s and a glimpse at the beginning of the creolization that affected both Unangax and Russian individuals. Although a small number of domesticated specimens were identified, the Zapadni faunal assemblage demonstrates the maintenance of traditional Unangax foodways during a time of intense colonialism and shows the overwhelming importance of northern fur seal pups as a subsistence resource.

Feeding Stonehenge: cuisine and consumption at the Late Neolithic site of Durrington Walls

Abstract

Specialised hunting of Iberian ibex during Neanderthal occupation at El Esquilleu Cave, northern Spain

Traditional views of Neanderthal hunting strategies envisage them preying on herd species such as bison and deer, rather than the sophisticated tracking of solitary animals. Analysis of faunal remains from El Esquilleu Cave in northern Spain, however, demonstrates that during certain periods of the Middle Palaeolithic occupation, Neanderthals focused on the hunting of ibex and chamois, small solitary species that inhabited the mountainous terrain around the site. These results indicate that Neanderthal hunting practices may have had more similarity to those of their Upper Palaeolithic relatives than is usually assumed.

Analysis of Faunal Remains from Selected Contexts at the Shelby Mound Site (41CP71): Results from Mound Excavations

Additional faunal material from earlier mound deposits at the Titus phase Shelby Mound site (41CP71) on Greasy Creek in Camp County, Texas, total 459 faunal specimens, weighing 339.8 grams. Sixty-one (13.3%) bone fragments are identifiable, and 201 specimens are burned (43.8%). Standard zooarchaeological identification techniques have been employed in this analysis, using comparative skeletal collections. Attributes that have been examined for each of the bone fragments include taxon, element, and portion of that element, symmetry, burning, and weight. This analysis focuses on identifying general preferences of animal exploitation at this site during the Late Caddo Titus phase. Table 1 summarizes the results of analysis.

‘SmartFauna’: a microscale GIS-based multi-dimensional approach to faunal deposition at the Ness of Brodgar, Orkney

Recent technological advances in survey and computing are opening up new opportunities for the accurate spatial recovery and recording of archaeological materials during excavation. These have the potential to revolutionise understanding of depositional practices and (other such) taphonomic processes which create the deposits and sites that archaeologists explore. This article summarises a new methodological approach to the recovery and analysis of faunal remains which enables a highly accurate 3D spatial analysis of any patterning in bone deposited within archaeological layers using a combination of high resolution survey techniques for the recovery of animal bones, ‘bridging’ software and a high end GIS package. Application of this methodology to archaeological deposits from the Ness of Brodgar in Orkney has provided evidence for deliberate placement of selected cattle and red deer remains, suggesting that these species were of central importance in Late Neolithic society.

Zooarchaeological Analysis at ADK-011, Adak Island, Central Aleutian Islands, Alaska

Although William Dall explored the Central Aleutians nearly 140 years ago, surprisingly little archaeological research has occurred in this area since then. During 1999 the Western Aleutians Archaeological and Paleobiological Project excavated archaeological sites on north Adak Island, Alaska. Faunal remains from two excavation pits at ADK-011 are analyzed here. This is the first analysis of faunal remains from this particular island. Our research reveals that late prehistoric Aleuts depended on marine mammals, birds, fish, and invertebrates. Although whale remains were recovered, it is currently impossible to tell if these represent hunted or stranded animals. Birds were hunted for their valuable bones as well as for their meat. Aleuts captured both pelagic and near-shore fish. Invertebrate remains indicate that prehistoric Aleuts depended on nearby high energy reefs as well as the calmer waters of Clam Lagoon for subsistence. Additionally, the marine reservoir effect must be considered when understanding radiocarbon dates from Aleutian archaeological sites.

Bone Accumulations of Spotted Hyaenas (Crocuta crocuta, Erxleben, 1777) as Indicators of Diet and Human Conflict; Mashatu, Botswana

In a region where free ranging domestic species mix with wildlife, it is imperative to determine what, if any, predation may have occurred on domestic stock. As human settlements continuously encroach upon wild habitats, determining the types of predator-human conflicts that exist can be crucial to conserve numerous predator species. The partial diet of spotted hyaenas (Crocuta crocuta) of the Mashatu Game Reserve, Botswana, was established via analyses of faunal remains associated with four dens to determine predation/scavenging on wild or domestic species. Domestic species composed less than 3% of identified faunal remains. We acknowledge that this methodology is biased against small mammals, but, when combined with sociological studies, this methodology will aid in determining alleged predation on domestic stock by spotted hyaenas. Results indicated that the spotted hyaenas in question feed primarily on wild species.

FAUNAL REMAINS AND SUBSISTENCE PRACTICES AT THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE LA PLAYA (SON:F:10:3), IN SONORA, MEXICO

Results from the analysis of faunal remains collected from the archaeological site La Playa, Sonora, Mexico, constitute the focus of this paper. Based on the identifications of the archaeozoological material, the subsistence practices (mobility to hunt prey, resource diversity, and organization to obtain them) of the population who inhabited La Playa in the Early Agricultural period (1500/800 B.C.-A.D. 200) were determined. It seems from the results that La Playa was a location that offered to humans a wide range of resources without having to travel very far. Mammals are the focus: antelope jackrabbit and mule deer make up the most abundant species in the sample. The group of birds was not part of the food resources: it was used for ritual purposes. River fish are poorly represented in the sample of La Playa. This is a common and extensive pattern for the sites from the Early Agricultural period in Arizona. It is possible that the population did not need to create a specific technology to hunt these kinds of animals. Even though the agriculture was important for subsistence, hunting continues to be a crucial part of food resources.

The Signature of Starvation: A Comparison of Bone Processing at a Chinese Encampment in Montana and the Donner Party Camp in California

Analysis of faunal remains from the historic China Gulch site in western Montana have shed light on behavioral strategies deployed by a marginalized population in a relatively undocumented historical context. China Gulch is a site where Chinese miners set up a temporary shelter after they were ostracized by white miners. Small bone fragments recovered at the site near a hearth suggest that the group underwent nutritional stress. The faunal remains were analyzed for evidence of butchering and processing following methods used to assess the bone recovered at the Donner Party Alder Creek campsite. The China Gulch findings were compared to the processing patterns identified at the Donner site to further support skeletal evidence for a qualitative signature of starvation.

An Analysis of Faunal Remains From A Denbigh Flint Complex Camp at Matcharak Lake, Alaska

The Matcharak Lake site, located in the Brooks Range, Alaska, represents the first faunal assemblage recovered from a Denbigh Flint Complex (early Arctic Small Tool tradition) locality anywhere in Arctic Alaska. Organic remains, which include numerous bone tools, are well preserved in the frozen tundra soil of this 3,900 year-old site. Over 81,000 faunal specimens were unearthed with the identified portion predominantly composed of caribou; however, Dall’s sheep, small mammals, bird, and fish were also recovered. Seasonal indicators suggest the hunting and butchering events occurred in the fall and spring. The presence of migratory bird and Alaska marmot suggest people camped here in the summer as well. Empirical evidence for Paleoeskimo subsistence are limited to coastal sites in the eastern Arctic. Matcharak Lake provides the first substantial dataset for supporting subsistence models for inland Denbigh groups in Alaska. Caribou clearly dominate in terms of potential calories and resource materials for clothing and shelter.

Weathering the storm: Coastal subsistence and ecological resilience on Late Holocene Santa Rosa Island, California

Archaeological research on California’s Channel Islands has significantly enhanced understanding of the diversity and variability of coastal hunter-gatherers and the shell middens these people left behind. On the Channel Islands, the Late Holocene was a time of substantial population growth, territoriality, and the emergence of social hierarchies. The role of marine and terrestrial climate change, population growth, human environmental impacts, and other variables in driving Late Holocene cultural and ecological developments is a subject of considerable debate. Analysis of faunal remains (especially finfish and shellfish), complemented by human skeletal and stable isotope analyses, from a massive shell midden and village complex (CA-SRI-2) on Santa Rosa Island provides insight into Late Holocene human responses to coastal resource stress and environmental change. Despite significant population growth, the emergence of social stratification, and increased pressure on local resources and ecosystems, these data demonstrate that there is significant continuity in the coastal resources Channel Island peoples exploited through time. These results document the long-term resilience and adaptability of coastal hunter-gatherers, the marine resources they harvested, and Channel Island ecosystems.

Taphonomic Implications of the Use of Bone as Fuel

This paper explores the effects of the use of bone as fuel on archaeological skeletal part representation. Faunal data from the Paleolithic site of Saint-Césaire show that this activity may present an archaeological signature similar to that of differential preservation. The bones most frequently burned at Saint-Césaire are also those that are the least dense and that contain the most grease. The analysis of faunal remains from Saint-Césaire also suggests that spongy bone fragments from small-bodied and large-bodied taxa are subject to differential identification.

Oakes Bay 1: A Preliminary Reconstruction of a Labrador Inuit Seal Hunting Economy in the Context of Climate Change

Geografisk Tidsskrift—Danish Journal of Geography 110(2):245–259, 2010 This paper presents results of recent archaeological research at the site of Oakes Bay 1 (HeCg-08), on Dog Island, Labrador, dated from the late 17th to late 18th century. Analyses of faunal remains provide a means of reconstructing the site's subsistence economy. The site's inhabitants practiced a very consistent mode of hunting throughout this time period, depending heavily on adult ringed seals taken on the fast ice in winter and spring. Juvenile ringed seals, taken at the ice edge in the spring were a secondary resource. A lack of evidence for the hunting of harp seals in the fall and of ringed seal pups in late spring suggests that the site had a relatively short season of occupation. The consistent pattern of hunting through time suggests that the impacts of climatic variability on Inuit subsistence in the Nain region were relatively limited, moderated by their capacity for mobility on the sea ice rather than by whole scale changes in hunting practices and species choice. The Oakes Bay 1 site presents an example of a different subsistence economy than that seen at other recently examined sites in Labrador, suggesting that the impacts of the so-called Little Ice Age were not global or uniform.

Reassessing the diet of Upper Palaeolithic humans from Gough's Cave and Sun Hole, Cheddar Gorge, Somerset, UK

Richards et al. (2000) reconstructed the diet of the human remains found in Gough's and Sun Hole Cave through isotope analysis. They concluded that these people consumed an entirely terrestrial-based diet. Their reconstruction was based upon comparison of the results from human bones with those from a very small number of associated animals. The diets of the Gough's and Sun Hole Cave human were different from the other six Upper Palaeolithic humans from the British Isles for which dietary information has been obtained through isotope analysis. The work of Richards et al. (2000) suggests that they were the only ones for whom marine or freshwater resources did not play a significant role in their diets. We test this through further analyses of faunal remains from Gough's Cave, Sun Hole and other contemporary sites (Kent's Cavern, Aveline's Hole, Kendrick's Cave). Despite the limited faunal sample, the original palaeodietary reconstruction is broadly consistent with our findings. The isotope values of the main protein sources consumed by the humans from both sites are consistent with those of red deer and bovines, and, for a single individual, with that of horse and red deer. Reindeer was postulated in the original reconstruction as a potential food source, but this seems very unlikely based on our isotope reconstruction and the archaeological remains.

COALITION PERIOD SUBSISTENCE ON THE PAJARITO PLATEAU

The Coalition Period (A.D. 1150–1325) occupants of the Pajarito Plateau were farmers, hunters, and gatherers who used the natural landscape to flourish in a risky environment. Analyses of faunal remains recovered from sites excavated at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in northern New Mexico have amassed subsistence data from five Coalition period room blocks. This paper focuses on the faunal remains recovered from these sites and briefly summarizes preliminary data compiled from the macrobotanical and pollen remains. The subsistence data demonstrate that a diversified subsistence strategy was pursued, despite a dramatic increase in the production of maize and other domesticates. But even though maize farming was a critical component of the Pajaritan subsistence strategy during the Coalition period, the continued use of wild plant and animal resources from the surrounding biotic communities is substantiated. The plant and animal materials show a subtle change in species procurement, with more variation in the relative importance of particular species (e.g., turkey and maize) during the Coalition period.

Dairying in antiquity. I. Evidence from absorbed lipid residues dating to the British Iron Age

The evidence for dairying in antiquity has, until recently, primarily been restricted to the reconstruction of herd structures through the analysis of faunal remains. Using this method alone cannot provide definitive evidence for the presence of dairy herds, due to differences in the recovery of animal bones at sites and the many different farming strategies that can affect herd structures (e.g. dairying, meat production, traction etc.). Absorbed lipid residues have been extracted from 237 pottery vessels from the British Iron Age sites of Maiden Castle, Danebury Hillfort, Yarnton Cresswell Field and Stanwick. The compound-specific stable carbon isotope (δ 13C values) of the principal fatty acids found in animal fats (C 16:0 and C 18:0) have allowed the direct detection of dairy fats, thus providing evidence that dairying was an important component of farming practices in the British Iron Age. The results are compared to assessments of the faunal remains at each of the sites, and correlations between morphological characteristics of the vessels (e.g. type, form, use wear and rim diameter) and lipid residue discussed.

Arqueofauna de um sítio litorâneo do Estado de Santa Catarina

Este artigo apresenta os resultados da análise dos remanescentes faunísticos recuperados em um sítio arqueológico localizado no litoral sul do Estado de Santa Catarina, município de Araranguá. Foram tomados como referência duas quadrículas escavadas, de 1 x 1 m. Procura-se caractenzar o tipo de fauna utilizada pela população humana em estudo e possíveis relações com a forma de assentamento. Restos depeixes e mamíferos constituem a maior parcela dos vestígios examinados. Os remanescentes de moluscos são representados basicamente por restos de Mesodesma mnctroides, sendo pouco representativos na amostra.