Cut Marks Research Articles

Cave finds indicate elk (<i>Alces alces</i>) hunting during the Late Iron Age in the Bavarian Alps

Abstract. The finding of a partially preserved elk skeleton from the Bavarian Alps is reported. Remnants of an adult male were found, together with skeletal elements of juvenile moose calves, at the base of a talus cone in the pit cave Stiefelschacht, next to Lenggries (southern Germany). The adult's bones exhibited anthropogenic traces like cut marks and were radiocarbon-dated to the Late Iron Age. A projectile hole in the left shoulder blade and cut marks on the bones are indicative of hunting and meat usage. The elk remains were associated with several wild and domestic species such as ungulates and hare but were not, however, accompanied by archaeological artefacts. Other archaeological sites of the Late Iron Age are so far not known within a distance of less than 30 km to the Stiefelschacht. While the presence of elk during prehistoric times in the Alps has already been known before, the finds and the location are unique in that they are the first evidence of elk hunting during the Late Iron Age in the northern Alps.

Validity of the use of porcine bone in forensic cut mark studies.

Porcine bone is often used as a substitute for human bone in forensic trauma studies, but little has been published on its comparative mechanical behavior. The factors affecting mechanical properties and therefore selection of bone models are complex and include the age of the animal at death, and physiological loading conditions, the latter being of particular relevance when using a quadrupedal animal as a human substitute. The regional variation in hardness of adult and infant porcine bones was investigated using Vickers' indentation tests and compared to published data for human limb bones to relate differences to inherent genetic effects and loading influences, and to examine the validity of the porcine-human model. Significant differences in hardness were observed both along and around the adult porcine humerus and femur, but no significant differences were found along the length of the infant bones. Significant differences were found between the forelimb and hindlimb, but only in the infant specimens. The hardness values for porcine adult cortical bone from the femur (52.23±1.00kgmm-2 ) were comparable to those reported in the literature for adult human cortical bone from the fibula, ilium, and calcaneus. These data will help inform subject selection in terms of both species and bone type for use in future trauma studies.

Mammal butchery by Homo erectus at the Lower Pleistocene acheulean site of Juma’s korongo 2 (JK2), bed III, Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania

The Olduvai Gorge is considered one of the most relevant archaeological complexes with regards to the study of our human evolution. This is especially evident when studying the emergence of hunting practices over the past 1.7 Ma. Butchery activities have been documented throughout Bed II, including the exploitation of megafauna in a larger number of sites. Among these, Hippopotamus, giraffe, sivatherium and large bovids have been documented to be consumed by hominins in, BK, TK, FLK-West and SHK between 1.3 and 1.7 Ma. Similar evidence has also been found in sites from Koobi Fora (Kenya), Peninj (Tanzania) and Ain Hanech (Marroco). Contrary to sites of lower Pleistocene earlier than 1.3 Ma, human butchery practices later than this are scarce during the transition between the Lower and Middle Pleistocene. This is due to a lack of sites with lithic tools associated with faunal remains during this period in Eastern Africa. The Acheulean site of Juma’s Korongo 2 (JK2) of the Olduvai Gorge Bed III is one of the few known sites with faunal remains associated with stone tools in East Africa. Under this premise, the present study therefore revisits the taphonomy of JK2, confirming that hominins had primary access to carcasses in this site, followed by carnivores. This is seen by a lower frequency of tooth marks contrary to previous studies of this same site, alongside the location and frequencies of cut and percussion marks on bone. This suggests early access to carcass by humans in the bone assemblage of JK2.

Cultural Modification Analyses on Faunal Remains in Relation to Space Use and Direct Provisioning from Field VI EBIIIA Tell el-Hesi

ABSTRACT Archaeological excavations at Tell el-Hesi have revealed an extensive Early Bronze Age IIIA city supported by grain-production and possibly trade. Early Bronze III materials are evident from multiple phases of settlement remains and a fortification wall visible in several excavated fields. From these, it appears that animal husbandry, along with grain production, were the main staples for the settlement. The majority of the excavated Early Bronze Age III animal remains, which were abundant, originated from Field VI, an occupation identified by the excavators as a mixed residential/production area. The Hesi field staff understood early on that Field VI contained local work areas with associated butchery spaces in the courtyards, evident by the presence of stone slabs and large bone deposits. The faunal remains from Field VI were first examined in 2006 and several samples were subjected to collagen isotopic analyses, which suggested that butchering activities may have been organized communally. The present research further explores animal processing in Tell el-Hesi’s Field VI by conducting a re-examination of the faunal remains that includes an analysis of cut marks and other evidence of butchery practices. This will allow us to assess the organization of animal processing in courtyards. Results indicate differential uses of this space in connection with animal processing and other exploitation activities, with suggested employment of a direct provisioning system during the EBIIIA occupation.

Homicide by unusual‐edged weapons: Forensic considerations of two cases

Homicide by stab wound is common worldwide. However, the use of unusual edged weapons is rarely reported in the forensic literature. Here, we report two cases of homicide involving a Japanese sword, or katana, and a sickle. Both of these weapons can create either stab or incised wounds with some particularities. In our cases, characteristics of the external wounds, internal injuries, and the depth of penetration raised the possibility of an unusual weapon. Meticulous forensic examination of these injuries (morphological characteristics, depth of penetration, trajectories, and cut marks in the bone) may allow the forensic expert to determine the type of weapon used.

Extreme dispersal or human-transport? The enigmatic case of an extralimital freshwater occurrence of a Southern elephant seal from Indiana.

Elephant seals (Mirounga spp.) are the largest living pinnipeds, and the spatial scales of their ecology, with dives over 1 km in depth and foraging trips over 10,000 km long, are unrivalled by their near relatives. Here we report the discovery of an incomplete Holocene age Southern elephant seal (M. leonina) rostrum from Indiana, USA. The surviving material are two casts of the original specimen, which was collected in a construction excavation close to the Wabash River near Lafayette, Indiana. The original specimen was mostly destroyed for radiometric dating analyses in the 1970s, which resulted in an age of 1,260 ± 90 years before the present. The existence of sediments in the original specimen suggests some type of post depositional fluvial transportation. The prevalent evidence suggests that this male Southern elephant seal crossed the equator and the Gulf of Mexico, and then entered the Mississippi River system, stranding far upriver in Indiana or adjacent areas, similar to other reported examples of lost marine mammals in freshwater systems. Based on potential cut marks, we cannot exclude human-mediated transportation or scavenging by Indigenous peoples as a contributing factor of this occurrence. The material reported here represents by far the northernmost occurrence of a Southern elephant seal in the Northern Hemisphere ever recorded. The unusual occurrence of a top marine predator >1,000 km from the closest marine effluent as a potential extreme case of dispersal emphasizes how marine invasions of freshwater systems have happened frequently through historical (and likely geological) time.

Winner takes all: reconstructing the decapitation of a warrior in Bronze Age China from osteological evidence

Decapitation is an ancient practice in Asia with inadequate research. The present study reports on the osteological examination of a headless skeleton excavated from a high-status tomb in Chu State style dating back to the late Warring States Period (ca. 3th century BC) in Lu’an, Anhui, China. The individual is identified as a victim of decapitation with five peri-mortem sharp force cut marks on the posterior parts of the cervical vertebrae, and another one on the right second metacarpal. Microscopic observation of the kerfs, the historical records and archaeological evidence support the speculation that the individual could be a warrior of Chu State, who is decapitated after being wounded during the war against the Qin State. The hacking implement and the sequences of the cut marks are further discussed to reconstruct the process of execution. This multidisciplinary reconstruction is the first scientific osteological analysis of the decapitation on the human remains from the Chinese Bronze Age. Moreover, it will enrich our knowledge of the decapitation phenomenon in terms of war and execution in ancient China.

Microscopic analyses of the effects of mechanical cleaning interventions on cut marks

In many cases, the study of archaeological fossil surfaces is not possible without prior intervention by conservation-restoration specialists. This is most notable in the required cleaning process that facilitates detailed analyses of osteological remains. This experimental study develops a methodology that can be used to evaluate the possible effects that mechanical cleaning applications and tools may have on the consequent study of cut marks. To confront these objectives, this study implements advanced 3D digital microscopy and statistical analyses to evaluate the before and after stages of mechanical cleaning processes of cut-marked bones. These techniques present a novel means of evaluating the degree of modification produced by mechanical cleaning processes. The obtained data allows for an initial assessment of the effects of conservation-restoration interventions on taphonomic analyses. The consequent conclusions advise caution on the use of some tools in mechanical cleaning, additionally supporting the need for interdisciplinary research in future archaeological research. Research of this nature is of great value to archaeology and palaeontology, presenting a new promising line of investigation for future research.

A taphonomic and zooarchaeological study of the early Middle Pleistocene 3 colluvio level from Isernia La Pineta (Molise, Italy)

The early Middle Pleistocene site of Isernia La Pineta (MIS 15), discovered in the 1970s, is one of the oldest archaeological sites excavated in Western Europe. Since its discovery, this Lower Palaeolithic open-air site has provided an interesting opportunity for the study of human behaviour during this early period of human evolution. Taphonomic studies conducted at the site, mostly of archaeosurface 3a in sector I, the level containing the most artefacts, have indicated that there was strong anthropogenic influence on the formation of the deposit, which is supported by the rich technological record. In this paper, we present a taphonomic study of the 3 colluvio level, in which bison is the most abundant taxon, and on which preliminary studies have highlighted the anthropogenic component. Our aim is to identify the involvement of hominins and carnivores in the accumulation, modification, and destruction of animal carcasses. The coexistence of hominins and carnivores is well-documented at the site, although co-occurrence of both predators over the same remains is rare. The almost total absence of modification on bone surfaces produced by hominins (cut marks) and carnivores (tooth marks) could be the result of taphonomic processes of alteration of bone surfaces, as hominins and carnivores seem to have acted as modificatory agents. Our study reveals that these groups probably acted independently, in different events, as part of the foraging and resources acquisition activities that these predators carried out in this environments.

Macro anatomical studies of internal organ of Morden domestic turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) in agro climatic condition of Assam, India

The Morden domestic turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) contained triangular shaped tongue and it attached with oral cavity by mucosal folds. The dorsal surface of the tongue contained transverse row of lingual papillae of Morden domestic turkey (Meleagris gallopavo). The syrinx of the Morden domestic turkey was situated at the termination of trachea. The dorsal surface of lung contained cut mark of ribs of turkey. The inner surface of oesophagus contained mucosal folds and ingluvies looks like a balloon of Morden domestic turkey (Meleagris gallopavo). The heart had base and apex. The length of the ileum was approximately to the length of the caeca. The shapes of the caeca were finger like. The stomach of the Morden Domestic Turkey was composed of proventriculus and ventriculus. The jejunum contained numbers of U shaped loops of Morden domestic turkey (Meleagris gallopavo). The liver composed of right and left lobe. The U shaped duodenum contained pancreas of Morden domestic turkey (Meleagris gallopavo). One pair of testes was observed above the cranial lobe of kidney of Morden domestic turkey (Meleagris gallopavo). The spleen was situated on right side of the proventriculus of stomach.

Integrative analysis of the quaternary avian remains from Última Esperanza, Chile

We examine three avian remains from the Última Esperanza cave complex. This site is a Natural Monument situated along the flanks of Cerro Benítez, Magallanes Region of Chile. A tarsometatarsus (MLP 94-VIII-10-12) is assigned to Rhea pennata, and a humerus (MLP 94-VIII-10-111) to Phalacrocorax brasilianus. Both, R. pennata and P. brasilianus, are currently distributed in the Magallanes Region, and their presence within the cave can be easily explained by the cut marks found on the tarsometatarsus, that evidence human consumption. The absence of traces on the humerus is not decisive in this regard, because the wings are not the most fleshy parts of the body and therefore, not the preferred piece by predators. It can represent the waste. A small bill (MLP 94-VIII-10-140) of a passerine bird belongs to a fresh bone and should be treated as contamination.

Carnivores in the everyday life of Gravettian hunters-gatherers in Central Europe

Insights into human life in Central Europe at ~30–20,000 years ago have come from studies of archaeological and paleontological materials in Czechia, Poland, and Slovakia, including assemblages from sites such as Dolní Věstonice I and II, Pavlov I, Kraków Spadzista, Jaksice II, and Moravany–Lopata II. Pavlovian mammal bone assemblages from settlements in South Moravia are dominated by small (birds, hares, foxes) and medium sized animals (wolves, reindeer, wolverines), but bones of large mammals also occur (bears, cave lions, horses, and mammoths, which dominate in the adjacent bone deposits), showing the wide spectrum of the hunters’ prey choices. Late Gravettian localities show an apparent trend towards specialization in hunting. Clear exemplars are Kraków Spadzista and Milovice I, where mammoth remains dominate the osteological material. At both, Pavlovian and Late Gravettian sites large numbers of carnivore remains have been found, including bones of small taxa (such as foxes), medium sized taxa (wolves and wolverines), and largest carnivores (bears and cave lions). Osteological assemblages from Central European Gravettian open-air sites lack remains of cave hyenas because this species went extinct in Central Europe between 40 and 30 thousand years ago.The significant numbers of remains show that carnivores had an important meaning in the lives of people occupying the sites. Acquiring animal hides was possibly the main reason for the hunting of carnivores, which is supported by skinning-related cut marks left on bones from different carnivores, such as wolf, wolverine, and cave lion. However, other body parts of carnivores were also used by Pavlovian hunters. Carnivore bones were used to make tools (e.g., awls), and the teeth of wolf and fox were used to make personal ornaments (pendants). We point out the presence of cut marks at Moravian sites made during carcass dismembering of foxes, wolves, and wolverines, indicating these carnivores were also a source of food for the hunters-gatherers. The wolf, wolverine, and foxes undoubtedly were important prey during the entire span of the Gravettian. However, in art and symbolism, Paleolithic hunters neglected these smaller predators and preferred the largest and most dangerous ones such as lions and bears. Lastly, we emphasize that hunters were capable to hunt even the largest carnivores (bears and lions), which were also important prey.

Cannibals in the forest: A comment on Defleur and Desclaux (2019)

Though rare in the archaeological record, cannibalism has been documented among many different hominin populations; however, the mechanisms driving such behaviors remains poorly understood. Recent research that evaluates the hypothesized Neanderthal nutritional cannibalism at the Middle Palaeolithic cave site of Baume Moula-Guercy (BMG) in Mediterranean France, is one case that, in our opinion, is not fully substantiated by the evidence put forth by Defleur and Desclaux (2019). Using site occurrence data from the Last Interglacial (MIS 5e), the biogeography of extinct reptile species, and cut mark taphonomic evidence, Defleur and Desclaux (2019) suggest that the Neanderthal remains found in Layer XV of the cave are the result of nutritional cannibalism. The authors argue that a regional collapse of Neanderthal populations was the result of a depletion of prey biomass, caused by a profound upheaval of local environmental conditions, thus causing the Neanderthals at BMG to resort to cannibalism. In this response paper, we attempt to show that the methods and materials used by Defleur and Desclaux 1) do not reflect the known number of Eemian-aged sites, 2) do not present sufficient evidence related to the environmental stress conditions at BMG that would warrant cannibalism, and 3) taphonomic evidence on Neanderthal remains does not strictly support the argument for nutritional cannibalism. Additional study of the BMG remains is necessary before ruling out other processes related to the post-mortem treatment of the Neanderthal corpses.

Surface analysis of an eagle talon from Krapina

The Krapina white-tailed eagle talons represent a kind of jewelry worn by Krapina Neandertals some 130,000 years ago. New inspection of one Krapina talon (386.1) revealed a fiber, sealed by a thin silicate coating, adhering to the surface within a wide cut mark, as well as concentrated traces of occasional spots of red and yellow pigment and some black stains. We analyzed the fiber and small portions of pigmented areas by non-invasive, infrared synchrotron beam. Different areas were targeted, revealing the protein nature of the fiber, identified as of animal origin. Targeted areas revealed intra- and inter-strand aggregation indicating the fiber to be collagen losing its original triple α-helix conformation, further confirming the diagenetic decay of the original collagen structure and the antiquity of the fiber. It is possible that the fiber is a remnant of the leather or sinew string binding the talons together. Spectroscopic analysis of the pigments in two isolated areas confirmed two types of ochre and that the dark spots are charcoal remnants. Applying novel non-invasive technologies provides new possibilities to further test the hypothesis of using prehistoric objects for symbolic purposes.

The experimental butchering of coypu (Myocastor coypus): Implications for the analysis of the archaeofaunal record

Coypu (Myocastor coypus) is a medium-small sized rodent which was exploited during the Late Holocene in the Humid Pampas and other regions of southern South America. Therefore, this paper aims to broaden our knowledge about archaeofaunal assemblages using data collected from five events of experimental butchery. These events were carried out by nutrieros (coypu hunters) and hunters from Buenos Aires province (Argentina) and were directed towards the extraction of some consumable resources from the carcass: hide and meat. Butchers used experimental flakes and tools made from ortoquartzite of the Sierras Bayas Group. The butchering process involved different tasks on the carcasses such as skinning, evisceration, disarticulation, and cutting into small pieces. We controlled the time involved in each experimental event and registered the weights of different byproducts. Resulting cut marks and fractures located on cranial and postcranial bones were associated with skinning, dismemberment, and segmentation for cooking. From this kind of actualistic study, we emphasized the significance of butcher’s skill to process small mammals and its consequences as resulting marks. In addition, we gathered information about the potential of exploitation of the prey in the present. Moreover, our study supports some interpretations made upon the archaeological record, questions others and alerts about equifinality.

Horse sacrifice and butchery in Bronze Age Mongolia

Recent research traces the origins of Mongolian horse herding and riding as far as the late Bronze Age Deer Stone-Khirigsuur Complex (DSKC), a tradition known from its standing stones, burials, and monuments. DSKC monument sites are often found with large numbers of partial (“head and hoof”) horse burials buried at the monument periphery. However, despite the ubiquity of ritual horse inhumations, key questions remain regarding the process and significance of DSKC horse ritual. Here, we present detailed taphonomic, osteological, and cut-mark analysis of 21 individual horse burials from deer stones and khirigsuur mounds across Mongolia. Our results indicate a diversity of slaughter practices among horses at DSK sites, including blunt trauma to the forehead region with small and large implements and possibly throat-slitting. While the head, cervical vertebrae, and phalanges are the most commonly recovered elements from these sites, element presence and absence indicates the occasional inclusion of the tail and limb elements, which may be explained by the presence of connecting skin and soft tissue (e.g. hide). Most significantly, cut mark analysis demonstrates that elements found in DSK features were not only disarticulated, but were often stripped of meat – including vertebral muscle and tongue removal. These results indicate that the spread of horse-based ritual practices in Mongolia was coupled with the removal (and likely consumption) of horse meat, suggesting that, beyond their role in transportation, the role of horses as livestock was both socially and economically significant during the late second millennium BCE.

Elucidating anuran accumulations: massive taphocenosis of tree frog Hyla from the Chalcolithic of El Mirador cave (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain)

Anurans, such as frogs and toads, are occasionally very abundant in archaeo-paleontological sites and representing >80% of the remains. These accumulations have been linked mainly to human consumption in the European context, by the preferential selection of body parts and by the presence of burning, and to a lesser extent, cut marks (as in Chalain 3, Baume d’Ogens, Kutná Hora-Denemark). However, there are also records of accumulations attributed to natural catastrophic events (Bois-Roche). This research presents a taphocenosis of microvertebrates of reduced dimensions (7.8 × 2.7 × 2.4 cm) containing 2526 bones, from El Mirador cave of Atapuerca (Burgos, Spain) contemporaneous to an adjacent Chalcolithic burial (ca. 4500 BP). The taxonomical study has identified at least 12 different taxa, which include one urodele, two anurans, seven squamates and two rodents. Tree frogs, Hyla gr. arborea (Hyla molleri), constitutes 84% of the assemblage. Quantitative and qualitative taphonomic analyses are focused on Hyla bones and show the presence of breakage and digestion marks associated with animal predation, albeit in low percentages and in light or moderate degrees. Due to its characteristics, El Mirador accumulation has been identified as a pellet accumulation produced by a medium-large owl (category 2). The nocturnal raptor hunted its preys during a wet period in spring, when the reproduction of the tree frogs occurs, showing a possible evidence of opportunistic predation on a seasonal resource. These findings help to understand the importance of anurans in the trophic chains of Prehistoric times, not only among human groups but also among non-human predators.

Earliest African evidence of carcass processing and consumption in cave at 700 ka, Casablanca, Morocco

To date, in Africa, evidence for animal processing and consumption in caves routinely used as living spaces is only documented in the late Middle Pleistocene of the North and South of the continent and postdates the Middle Pleistocene in East Africa. Here we report the earliest evidence in a North-African cave (Grotte des Rhinocéros at Casablanca, Morocco) of cut, percussion and human gnawing marks on faunal remains directly associated with lithic knapping activities in the same space and in a well-documented stratified context. Ages for this Acheulean site are provided by the dating of herbivorous teeth to 690–720 ka and 520–550 ka (lower and upper sets) by combined Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) and U-series techniques. Traces of butchery on gazelle, alcelaphin, and zebra bones demonstrate that hominins had primary access to herbivore carcasses. Hominins brought and consumed meat in the cave, as documented by herbivore bones bearing human tooth marks concentrated in a circumscribed area of the excavation. In Africa, this site provides the earliest evidence for in situ carcass processing and meat-eating in cave, directly associated with lithic production and demonstrates the recurrent use by early Middle Pleistocene hominins of a North African cave site 400 000 years before that by Homo sapiens at Jebel Irhoud (Morocco).

Whodunit? Clues on bird remains from Oblazowa Cave (southern Poland) reveal their origin

Oblazowa Cave has been used and inhabited by people several times for almost 40,000 years. Among the very numerous remains of birds, remains of medium-sized galliforms are a significant part. They can be food remains of both humans and owls or other animal predators. The purpose of this work was to determine the factor(s) responsible for accumulation of galliform bones in the cave. A taphonomic study revealed no traces of human activities in the form of cut marks or burning. However, some bones bear punctures and traces of digestion that can be attributed to owls. The size of prey, location of the cave and various clues found on galliform bones suggest that the most likely predator was the eagle owl. The presence of medullary bone and subadult specimens indicates that at least some of the material was deposited in spring. This would imply the absence of people at that time because it is very unlikely that any owl or raptor would share the cave with humans at the same time.

Scratches and grazes: a detailed microscopic analysis of trampling phenomena.

Sedimentary abrasion and postdepositional damage to fossil remains are of great interest if considering the possible distortion they could produce in the archaeological and paleontological record. Since their discovery, natural agents such as trampling phenomena have been a topic of great taphonomic interest. Nevertheless, the majority of investigation into these traces has focused almost exclusively on their differentiation from other anthropic agents such as cut marks. In recent years, advances into bone surface modification analysis via geometric morphometrics have proven useful for in-depth characterization of different taphonomic traces; including cut, tooth and percussion marks. Through this, a preliminary study of trampling marks using advanced 3D digital microscopy was able to detect differences between what have since been known as scratch and graze marks. The present study expands from this, developing a more detailed analysis of these traces. Here, we use advanced data science techniques to provide a means of understanding trampling mark variations, contributing to our knowledge of site formation processes. Our results show how scratch and graze marks are a product of progressional decay and changes in cortical hardness, providing a new means of understanding taphonomic processes. LAY DESCRIPTION: The study of microscopic bone surface modifications in archaeology and palaeontology is of great importance, allowing for a detailed reconstruction of the formation of a site and providing a means of interpreting the fossil register. The damage that sedimentary abrasion can produce, however, is likely to distort and influence these studies, thus requiring a detailed understanding of the different traces that can be found on different materials. Here, we use advanced 3D digital microscopy and pattern recognition algorithms to analyse the different marks produced in different sedimentological contexts, also controlling for other variables such as the state of the bone when buried, the type of bone and the time exposed to these types of damages. Through this detailed microscopic analysis of these types of damages, we are able to conclude that morphological variations in trampling marks are product of the state of decay when the bones are buried.