DECODING THE BONES: Spanish Colonial Butchering Practices at the Royal Presidio of Monterey (original) (raw)

THE ROYAL PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY: A Socio-cultural Analysis Based on Zooarchaeological Remains

The Royal Presidio of Monterey served as the focal institution of military power and government of Alta California from ca. 1770 to 1840 during the Spanish colonial missionization of the indigenous populations. Like the Franciscan missions, the Royal Presidio of Monterey was a multicultural settlement, home to Spanish soldiers, mestizo settlers, and Native Californians. During archaeological monitoring of the Royal Presidio of Monterrey, spanning from 2006 through 2008 which was conducted by Dr. Ruben Mendoza and his field crew of California State University, Monterey Bay students, significant Mission era architectural features were discovered and identified, in addition to the recovery of rich material culture and great quantities of faunal assemblages. Through the investigation of those recovered faunal remains, this capstone project examines the cultural modifications or cutmark patterns produced during butchery practices and consumption patterns and the relationship of such to socio-cultural identities within the Presidio demographic. In addition, butchery patterns can aid in the identification of certain types of cutmarks and tool technologies that created them of which may represent a cultural group, such as distinctions between Native Californians and Spanish colonists. Furthermore, an experimental archaeology component is highlighted in this capstone project which attempted to replicate those modifications on the faunal remains with the intentions of identifying the cutting implements and any socio-cultural indicators that produced said cutmarks. Ultimately, this capstone offers preliminary hypotheses of which further research is necessitated in order to draw more conclusive evidence of socio-cultural markers in the faunal assemblages of the Royal Presidio of Monterey.

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

International Journal of Historical Archaeology

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 coloni...

Military Diet on the Border: Butchery Analysis at Fort Brown (41CF96) Cameron County, Texas

Journal of Texas Archeology and History, 2017

Archaeological investigations at Fort Brown (41CF96) have provided a wealth of information about military life in south Texas. This re-analysis of the faunal material recovered by the Archaeological Research Laboratory's survey efforts in 1988 investigates butchering patterns found at the site. While evidence for modern European American cuts are present, processing of beef os coxae and sacrum are inconsistent with current European American butchery practices. The assemblage is dominated by inexpensive cuts of meat that would have allowed for easy cooking within stews or soups. The butchery patterns seen at Fort Brown are compared to early twentieth century military standards as well as local, and particularly Mexican, influences on Fort Brown foodways.

Soldiers’ Diet at Valley Forge: An Analysis of the Faunal Remains from the 2000 Excavation Season

2003

The 2000 excavation season at Valley Forge National Historieal Park focused on the excavation of huts and other features associated with the 1 st and 2nd Pennsylvania Brigades, In addition to a rich and diverse assemblage of Revolutionary artifacts, the 2000 excavations produced a sizable collection of animal bone remains. Most of the faunal remains were recovered from features associated with the enlisted men's huts. Both historical sources and the recently excavated faunal remains indicate that the Pennsylvania brigades were provisioned with beef, pork, and small quantities of fish. This paper presents the results of the analysis of the faunal remains from the 2000 excavation season.

An Analysis of Faunal Remains and Butchering Practices at Mission San Xavier del Bac

Analysis of faunal remains and butchering modifications from Mission San Xavier del Bac shows that, while more standardized Spanish butchering practices had infiltrated the way of life in the PimerÌa Alta region and domesticated animals comprised a significant percentage of the assemblage, missionaries were not entirely successful in their efforts to replace hunting with animal husbandry. An analysis of butchering shows that the mission played a vital economic role in addition to its religious function, suggesting institutional self-sufficiency and an essential responsibility to produce for the surrounding community.

Prehistoric Food Intensification in the Santa Clara Valley

Journal of California and Great Basin Anthropology, 2016

Author(s): Arpaia, Angela; Wohlgemuth, Eric | Abstract: The Santa Clara Valley archaeobotanical record spans the central California Early, Middle, and Late periods. Sites CA‑SCL-12, -478, -674, and -919 have robust assemblages of plant remains from distinct periods which are used here to evaluate alternative models of plant use in interior and bayshore settings. The interior model is a better fit for the Santa Clara Valley, even for the near-shore site SCL-12. The existence in the South Bay of poorer and more difficult to access aquatic faunal resources appears to explain the greater focus on plant foods there than in the East and North Bay.