Cut Marks Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

The “Monumental Complex” located on the plateau of the Civita at Tarquinia (VT, Italy), is an important Etruscan site dated between the 10th and the 2nd centuries BC. Excavations (1989-2011 years) were carried directed by M. Bonghi Jovino... more

The “Monumental Complex” located on the plateau of the Civita at Tarquinia (VT, Italy), is an important Etruscan site dated between the 10th and the 2nd centuries BC. Excavations (1989-2011 years) were carried directed by M. Bonghi Jovino and G. Bagnasco Gianni who teach Etruscology at the University of Milan. The aim of this study is to analyse some cut marks recorded that were identified on the dog bones found in areas G, H, HM, L, M, O. These are added to the results of the animal remain study carried out by C. Sorrentino in 1986 and by E. Bedini in 1997, in order to better understand the role of dog in Etruscan ritual practices, as food source, and as raw material for the production of bone tools. The results are also compared with those from other Etruscan sites in which dog in present in burials or in ritual contexts.

Dog and human bones, both featuring cut marks, are – from a present-day point of view – a weird find category in a settlement like Manching. Moreover, remains of both humans and of the first domestic animals appear almost exclusively out... more

Dog and human bones, both featuring cut marks, are – from a present-day point of view – a weird find category in a settlement like Manching. Moreover, remains of both humans and of the first domestic animals appear almost exclusively out of anatomical articulation and deposited with common settlement waste. These circumstances may suggest various interpretations. It is usually assumed that dog meat was being consumed while the cut marks on the human bones bear testimony to complex several stage burial rites. The article critically assesses the available evidence for these two explanations while discussing other possibilities including cannibalism, ritual canophagy, and animal burials.

Humanly induced modifications on human and non-human bones from four archaeological sites of known funerary rituals (one interpreted as cannibalism and three interpreted as funerary defleshing and disarticulation after a period of decay)... more

Humanly induced modifications on human and non-human bones from four archaeological sites of known funerary rituals (one interpreted as cannibalism and three interpreted as funerary defleshing and disarticulation after a period of decay) were analyzed to ascertain whether macromorphological and micromorphological characteristics of cut marks can be used to distinguish cannibalistic from secondary burial practices. Four collections were analyzed: the Magdalenian assemblage from Gough's Cave (UK) and the Mesolithic-Neolithic bone samples from Lepenski Vir, Padina and Vlasac (Serbia). A total of 647 cut marks (345 on human and 302 on non-human remains) were imaged and measured using an optical surface measurement system, the Alicona InfiniteFocus, housed at the Natural History Museum (London, UK). The frequency of cut marks at Gough's Cave exceeds 65%, while it is below 1% in the Serbian sites, and no human tooth marks and only one case of percussion damage have been observed on the three Serbian collections. The distribution of cut marks on human bones is comparable in the four assemblages. Cannibalized human remains, however, present a uniform cut mark distribution, which can be associated with disarticulation of persistent and labile articulations, and the scalping and filleting of muscles. For secondary burials where modification occurred after a period of decay, disarticulation marks are less common and the disarticulation of labile joints is rare. The micromorphometric analyses of cut marks on human and non-human remains suggest that cut marks produced when cleaning partially decayed bodies are significantly different from cut marks produced during butchery of fresh bodies. A distinction between cannibalism and secondary treatment of human bodies can be made based on frequency, distribution and micromorphometric characteristics of cut marks.

The study of a faunal sample of 662 identifiable specimens from the Baume de Goulon (Eastern Provence) indicates that the red deer, wild cattle, wild board and ibex were important prey species. The treatment of the killed animals will be... more

The study of a faunal sample of 662 identifiable specimens from the Baume de Goulon (Eastern Provence) indicates that the red deer, wild cattle, wild board and ibex were important prey species. The treatment of the killed animals will be reconstituted by analysis of frequencies of skeletal parts, cut marks and burning activities. The results show a selective consummation of the hunted prey in the cave and the utilization of food techniques such as marrow extraction, bone grease extraction or clear meat soup preparation.

Previous zooarchaeological analysis at Koobi Fora indicates that Okote Member hominins were the primary agents of bone assemblage formation, gained early access to large and small mammal flesh, and consumed both high-and low-ranked... more

Previous zooarchaeological analysis at Koobi Fora indicates that Okote Member hominins were the primary agents of bone assemblage formation, gained early access to large and small mammal flesh, and consumed both high-and low-ranked carcass parts. The discovery of additional butchered specimens prompted the re-analysis presented here of three large and well-preserved zooarchaeological assemblages from the Okote member, GaJi14, FwJj14N and FwJj14S, to revisit paleoecological hypotheses about tool-assisted carnivory. Cow and goat limb butchery documenting the skeletal location of cut marks created by skinning, defleshing, and disarticulation was used to build an actualistic model to infer hominin consumption of distinct carcass resources. Archaeological specimens were assigned to early (defleshing limbs), middle (defleshing ribs, viscera, vertebrae, and head) and late (metapodial tendon removal, element disarticulation, long bone fragmentation) carcass consumption stages, and the incidence of these butchery behaviors was examined for specimens and minimum number of element and individual aggregates. Elbow specimens, where traces of defleshing, disarticulation, and percussion co-occur, offer a sequential view of carcass consumption behaviors that is free from fragmentation bias. Classification trees populated with actualistic data were used to identify defleshing and disarticulation cut mark clusters on archaeological elbow portions by their location, cut mark count, median length, and median cross-sectional width. Actualistically-informed configurational analysis offers high-resolution behavioral reconstruction of the butchered sub-assemblage and should be integrated with assemblage-scale zooarchaeological methods. These experiments highlight the bias for detecting butchery traces of early carcass access, because defleshing cut marks are abundant and introduced to dense midshaft portions, whereas disarticulation cut marks are rare and occur on epiphyseal portions, which are often deleted by density-mediated destruction. Butchery trace interpretation across multiple analytical scales confirms a flexible carnivorous paleoecological role for Okote hominins that included primary and secondary access to carcass resources from large and small mammals.

Áridos 1 and Áridos 2 (Madrid, Spain) are two Middle Pleistocene sites belonging to the isotopic stages 9–11. Both places contain partial carcasses of Elephas (Paleoxodon) antiquus associated to Acheulian stone tools. In this work, the... more

Áridos 1 and Áridos 2 (Madrid, Spain) are two Middle Pleistocene sites belonging to the isotopic stages 9–11. Both places contain partial carcasses of Elephas (Paleoxodon) antiquus associated to Acheulian stone tools. In this work, the taphonomic study of the elephant remains of Áridos 2 is presented. This study has documented several cut marks on different bones, which indicate bulk flesh and viscerae extraction by Middle Pleistocene hominins. Several arguments are provided to support that at least some of the cut marks were made with handaxes, further suggesting that some of these artifacts were butchering tools in this stage of human evolution. Although cut marks on elephant carcasses have been documented at some Middle Pleistocene sites, very few have been published in detail to allow consideration of their status as hominin-imparted marks. By doing so, the present study provides more evidence of large carcass exploitation by hominins during this period.

Two archaeological assemblages from the Sierra de Atapuerca sites show evidence of anthropogenic cannibalism. These are the late Early Pleistocene level TD6-2 at Gran Dolina, and the Bronze Age level MIR4 in the Mirador Cave. Despite the... more

Two archaeological assemblages from the Sierra de Atapuerca sites show evidence of anthropogenic cannibalism. These are the late Early Pleistocene level TD6-2 at Gran Dolina, and the Bronze Age level MIR4 in the Mirador Cave. Despite the chronological distance between these two assemblages, they share the common feature that the human remains exhibit a high frequency of anthropogenic modifications (cut marks, percussion pits and notches and peeling). This frequency could denote special treatment of bodies, or else be the normal result of the butchering process. In order to test these possibilities, we subjected a chimpanzee carcass to a butchering process. The processing was intensive and intended to simulate preparation for consumption. In doing this, we used several simple flakes made from quartzite and chert from quarries in the Sierra de Atapuerca. The skull, long bones, metapodials and phalanges were also fractured in order to remove the brain and bone marrow. As a result, about 40% of the remains showed some kind of human modification. The frequency, distribution and characteristics of these modifications are very similar to those documented on the remains of Homo antecessor from TD6-2. In case of the MIR4 assemblage, the results are similar except in the treatment of skulls. Our results indicate that high frequencies of anthropogenic modifications are common after an intensive butchering process intended to prepare a hominin body for consumption in different contexts (both where there was possible ritual behavior and where this was not the case and the modifications are not the result of special treatment).

A recurring theme of late Upper Palaeolithic Magdalenian human bone assemblages is the remarkable rarity of primary burials and the common occurrence of highly-fragmentary human remains mixed with occupation waste at many sites. One of... more

A recurring theme of late Upper Palaeolithic Magdalenian human bone assemblages is the remarkable rarity of primary burials and the common occurrence of highly-fragmentary human remains mixed with occupation waste at many sites. One of the most extensive Magdalenian human bone assemblages comes from Gough's Cave, a sizeable limestone cave set in Cheddar Gorge (Somerset), UK. After its discovery in the 1880s, the site was developed as a show cave and largely emptied of sediment, at times with minimal archaeological supervision. Some of the last surviving remnants of sediment within the cave were excavated between 1986 and 1992. The excavations uncovered intensively-processed human bones intermingled with abundant butchered large mammal remains and a diverse range of flint, bone, antler, and ivory artefacts. New ultrafiltrated radiocarbon determinations demonstrate that the Upper Palaeolithic human remains were deposited over a very short period of time, possibly during a series o...

Cut mark frequencies in archaeological faunal assemblages are so variable that their use has recently created some skepticism. The present study analyses this variability using multivariate statistics on a set of 14 variables that involve... more

Cut mark frequencies in archaeological faunal assemblages are so variable that their use has recently created some skepticism. The present study analyses this variability using multivariate statistics on a set of 14 variables that involve differential skeletal element representation, fragmentation processes, carnivore ravaging impact, carcass size and tool type. All these variables affect the resulting cut mark frequencies reported in archaeological sites. A large sample of archaeofaunal assemblages has been used for this study. It was concluded that the best estimator of cut mark frequency in any given assemblage is the percentage of cut-marked long bone specimens (probably due to its better preservation than other anatomical areas), which is determined by fragmentation and carnivore ravaging. Carcass size and tool type also play a major role in differences in cut mark frequencies. Fragmentation is also a key variable determining the abundance of cut-marked specimens. It is argued that general cut mark percentages are of limited value, given the number of variables that determine them, and that a more heuristic approach involves quantifying cut marks in a qualitative manner.

The Arago cave (Tautavel, Pyrénées-Orientales, France) is one of the most important middle Pleistocene sites in Western Europe. Amongst the numerous faunal remains found, one species stands out for its notable rarity and originality: the... more

The Arago cave (Tautavel, Pyrénées-Orientales, France) is one of the most important middle Pleistocene sites in Western Europe. Amongst the numerous faunal remains found, one species stands out for its notable rarity and originality: the mouflon. They were particulary abundant in levels F (MNI=83) and G (MNI=42). Using Payne’s method we found mainly adults in the same layers. Furthermore, analysis of the mortality profiles indicated death by hunting. We completed theses studies by estimating the weight of the population using two methods. The first one is based on the occlusal surface at the first lower molar and the second one, on the morphology of the astragalus. The frequencies of skeletal parts showed a high correlation with the bone density and this indicated differential survivorship rather than bone transport by human measured by the MGUI. Furthermore, the carnivore activity (gnawing marks) on the mouflon assembly is very weak. From the patterns of bone fracturing of the long bones and butchery marks the principal steps in the preparation of mouflon for nourishment can be followed. These analyses attest of an intense exploitation of this animal by hominids (Homo erectus), essentially in an alimentary purpose, and allow us to propose the hypothesis that man was indeed a hunter than scavenger.

The zooarchaeological study of small-vertebrate consumption requires a taphonomical approach to differentiate animal bones that were incidentally incorporated from those that were intentionally exploited in the past human subsistence. In... more

The zooarchaeological study of small-vertebrate consumption requires a taphonomical approach to differentiate animal bones that were incidentally incorporated from those that were intentionally exploited in the past human subsistence. In order to make this distinction, the relationship between archaeological small-rodent burned bones and prehistoric human behavior was explored using an experimental cooking study as a modern analogue. During the cooking experiment the entire carcasses of three guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) and two yellow-toothed cavies (Galea leucoblephara) were placed in the coals of an open fire that simulate a real campfire, rotating their positions until the meat was completely cooked. Subsequently, the intensity of burning damage and the loss of skeletal elements were analyzed at macroscopical levels. The data was used to identify cooking evidence in the Ctenomyidae and Caviidae rodent bones recovered from Quebrada del Real 1 (ca. 6000–300 BP, Córdoba, Argentina). Remarkable similarities between the archaeological and analogical records were found, including the distinctive burning pattern on the distal extremities of the unmeaty long bones (e.g, radii and tibiae), the high frequency of broken incisor teeth and the loss of autopodium elements. Based on these comparative results, it is suggested that the small-rodent assemblages of QR1 were primary accumulated by humans though butchery, cooking and consumption related activities. Extending this study to other archaeological sites in South America may help to identify the prehistoric bone collectors of these small-animals.► We conducted a cooking experiment exposing cavy rodent's carcasses directly on fire. ► Then, we examined the pattern of burning bone modification and elements loss. ► We compared the results with the small-rodent assemblage from Quebrada del Real 1. ► We conclude that archaeological rodent bones were primary accumulated by humans.

Two fossil specimens from the DIK-55 locality in the Hadar Formation at Dikika, Ethiopia, are contemporaneous with the earliest documented stone tools, and they collectively bear twelve marks interpreted to be characteristic of stone tool... more

Two fossil specimens from the DIK-55 locality in the Hadar Formation at Dikika, Ethiopia, are contemporaneous with the earliest documented stone tools, and they collectively bear twelve marks interpreted to be characteristic of stone tool butchery damage. An alternative interpretation of the marks has been that they were caused by trampling animals and do not provide evidence of stone tool use or large ungulate exploitation by Australopithecus-grade hominins. Thus, resolving which agents created marks on fossils in deposits from Dikika is an essential step in understanding the ecological and taphonomic contexts of the hominin-bearing deposits in this region and establishing their relevance for investigations of the earliest stone tool use. This paper presents results of microscopic scrutiny of all non-hominin fossils collected from the Hadar Formation at Dikika, including additional fossils from DIK-55, and describes in detail seven assemblages from sieved surface sediment samples. The study is the first taphonomic description of Pliocene fossil assemblages from open-air deposits in Africa that were collected without using only methods that emphasize the selective retention of taxonomically-informative specimens. The sieved assemblages show distinctive differences in faunal representation and taphonomic modifications that suggest they sample a range of depositional environments in the Pliocene Hadar Lake Basin, and have implications for how landscape-based taphonomy can be used to infer past microhabitats. The surface modification data show that no marks on any other fossils resemble in size or shape those on the two specimens from DIK-55 that were interpreted to bear stone tool inflicted damage. A large sample of marks from the sieved collections has characteristics that match modern trampling damage, but these marks are significantly smaller than those on the DIK-55 specimens and have different suites of characteristics. Most are not visible without magnification. The data show that the DIK-55 marks are outliers amongst bone surface damage in the Dikika area, and that trampling is not the most parsimonious interpretation of their origin.

Archaeological records of the treatment of human skulls for ceremonial or cult purposes appear at the end of Palaeolithic and are shown in different ways, being able to identify through the taphonomic modifications. According to this, the... more

Archaeological records of the treatment of human skulls for ceremonial or cult purposes appear at the end of Palaeolithic and are shown in different ways, being able to identify through the taphonomic modifications. According to this, the presence of skull cups (bowls from human calvaria) is currently considered evidence of ritualistic treatment of human bodies and it is found in many occasions associated to cannibalism. Prehistoric skull cups are characterized by a careful and repetitive fracture pattern and elevated frequency of cut marks. We aim to assess whether it is possible to identify a common pattern, through the cut marks disposition and frequency, in the treatment of modified skulls to produce skull-cups, by comparing evidence from different prehistoric assemblages in Europe. We compared published data and drawings of cut marks recorded on the surface of human skulls specimens from TD6.2 of Gran Dolina (early Pleistocene, Spain), Gough’s Cave, Fontbrégoua, Herxheim, and El Mirador Cave. Cut marks were spatially plotted as polylines over the bone templates in ArcGIS, which has allowed us to evaluate their distribution and greater or lesser presence in the different views of the human skulls. In all samples except in TD6.2 have been proposed some ritual component on the remains and perhaps of the cannibalism events. In three of the sites (Gough’s, Herxheim and El Mirador) the elaboration of skull cups was recorded. The location and distribution of cut marks on the studied skulls, were analysed using the ESRI ArcGIS software package. In order to statistically compare patterns among skulls of the same site and between skulls from different sites the cut marks were digitalised on standardised templates of a skull in six side-views: anterior face; dorsal; left lateral; right lateral; superior; and inferior). Results show a high frequency and a spatial distribution with a clustered pattern of cut marks are also shown common in all the skull cups and Fontbrégoua. This is particularly concerning the longitudinal cut marks located in the upper part of the skulls and superimposed or parallel to the sagittal suture. However, no parallels were observed with the treatment of Homo antecessor skulls. The scalping of the craniums from Gough’s Cave, Fontbrégoua, Herxheim, and El Mirador may be therefore associated with the preparation of the skulls (skull cups and non-skull cups) for ritual purposes. We statistically demonstrated that on skull cups there are areas with higher concentration of cut marks, corresponding mainly the removal of the scalp. The high frequency of cut marks can also be associated with defleshing and is found on the lateral and ventral facets of the skull. We have located patterns of spatial distribution of aggregate and regularly scattered cut marks in the skull craniums, with higher densities than in the skulls without prearranged morphology. Repetitive patterns, intended for intensive cleaning bone, have been recognised in specimens from Gough’s Cave, Fontbrégoua, Herxheim, and El Mirador Cave. A methodical process has been identified in the manufacturing of the skull cups. The removal of the scalp and defleshing was meticulous and intensive according to the number of cut marks, in all skull cups and Fontbrégoua. This pattern is repeated from the Magdalenian sites of Gough’s Cave to the Bronze Age site of El Mirador Cave, providing further evidence of the preparation of the skulls for their possible ritualization. Intensive tissue removal can be an indicator of human cannibalism in a ritual context.

The Ciota Ciara cave is located in the karst area of Monte Fenera (Borgosesia-VC) and, with the Ciotarun cave, it is the only Middle Palaeolithic site in Piedmont where the presence of Homo neanderthalensis has been confirmed by... more

The Ciota Ciara cave is located in the karst area of Monte Fenera (Borgosesia-VC) and, with the Ciotarun cave, it is the only Middle Palaeolithic site in Piedmont where the presence of Homo neanderthalensis has been confirmed by discoveries of human remains. Preliminary taphonomic and archaeozoological studies have been performed on a portion of the palaeontological remains from the Stratigraphic Unit 14 (1144 bones). The studies confirmed the presence of cut-marks on Ursus spelaeus and Canis lupus, made by lithic instruments. The position of the cut-marks on the bones can be related to skinning and butchery. An experimental butchery has been performed to test the efficiency of the tools made by local quartz during slaughtering activities. The archaeozoo-logical analysis of the faunal remains of S.U. 14, identified cut-marks with weak peculiarities, probably due to the use of quartz tools. The analysis of the experimental collection allowed distinguishing between cut-marks made by quartz tools from those made by flint tools. A preliminary experimentation, conducted on more than 50 different cut-marks made with flakes of three different raw materials (vein quartz, quartzite and flint), allow us to hypothesize that it is possible to distinguish cut-marks made with unretouched flakes of different raw materials.

A series of experimental cut marks have been analyzed by eleven taphonomists with the goal of assessing if they could identify similarly 14 selected microscopic variables which would identify those marks as cut marks. The main objective... more

A series of experimental cut marks have been analyzed by eleven taphonomists with the goal of assessing if they could identify similarly 14 selected microscopic variables which would identify those marks as cut marks. The main objective was to test if variable identification could be made scientifically; that is, different researchers using the same method and criteria making the same assessment of each variable. This experiment shows that even in researchers trained in the same laboratories and following the same protocols divergences in the perception of each variable are significant. This indicates that mark perception and interpretation is a highly subjective process. If this basic analytical stage is subjective, subjectivity permeates to a greater degree the higher inferential stages leading from mark identification to reconstruction of butchering behaviors based on mark frequencies, mark anatomical distribution, actor-effector-trace processes, and statistical interpretations of the stochastic mark-imparting butchering processes. Here, we emphasize that the use of bone surface modifications for behavioral interpretations remains a non-scientific endeavor because of lack of independent replicability of criteria and processes, divergences in how variables are selected and used and epistemologically flawed analogs. This constitutes a major call to taphonomy to engage in more scientific (i.e., objective) approaches to the study of bone surface modifications for taphonomic inference elaboration.

The numerous mouflon bones found in the different archaeological beds of La Caune de l’Arago show human activity marks. A precise description of these traces has been done using attributes such as orientation, location on bone ans mark... more

The numerous mouflon bones found in the different archaeological beds of La Caune de l’Arago show human activity marks. A precise description of these traces has been done using attributes such as orientation, location on bone ans mark morphology (length, width and depth). This procedure permits to define a model of Human erectus way of treatment of the antique wild sheep and to privilege the hypothesis of hunting rather than scavenging.

The Ciota Ciara cave is located in the karst area of Monte Fenera (Borgosesia-VC) and, with the Ciotarun cave, it is the only Middle Palaeolithic site in Piedmont where the presence of Homo neanderthalensis has been confirmed by... more

The Ciota Ciara cave is located in the karst area of Monte Fenera (Borgosesia-VC) and, with the Ciotarun cave, it is the only Middle Palaeolithic site in Piedmont where the presence of Homo neanderthalensis has been confirmed by discoveries of human remains. Preliminary taphonomic and archaeozoological studies have been performed on a portion of the palaeontological remains from the Stratigraphic Unit 14 (1144 bones). The studies confirmed the presence of cut-marks on Ursus spelaeus and Canis lupus, made by lithic instruments. The position of the cut-marks on the bones can be related to skinning and butchery. An experimental butchery has been performed to test the efficiency of the tools made by local quartz during slaughtering activities. The archaeozoo-logical analysis of the faunal remains of S.U. 14, identified cut-marks with weak peculiarities, probably due to the use of quartz tools. The analysis of the experimental collection allowed distinguishing between cut-marks made by q...

Mémoire présenté en vue de l'obtention du grade de maître en anthropologie Décembre, 2018

Studies of bone surface modifications (BSMs) such as cut marks are crucial to our understanding of human and earlier hominin subsistence behavior. Over the last several decades, however, BSM identification has remained contentious,... more

Studies of bone surface modifications (BSMs) such as cut marks are crucial to our understanding of human and earlier hominin subsistence behavior. Over the last several decades, however, BSM identification has remained contentious, particularly in terms of identifying the earliest instances of hominin butchery; there has been a lack of consensus over how to identify or differentiate marks made by human and non-human actors and varying effectors. Most investigations have relied on morphology to identify butchery marks and their patterning. This includes cut marks, one of the most significant human marks. Attempts to discriminate cut marks from other types of marks have employed a variety of techniques, ranging from subjectively characterizing cut mark morphology using the naked eye, to using high-powered microscopy such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) or micro-photogrammetry. More recent approaches use 3D datasets to obtain even more detailed information about mark attributes, and apply those to the fossil record. Although 3D datasets open promising new avenues for investigation, analyses of these datasets have not yet taken advantage of the full 3D surface morphology of BSM. Rather, selected cross-sectional slices of 3D scans have been used as proxies for overall shape. Here we demonstrate that 3D geometric morphometrics (GM), under the " Procrustes paradigm " and coupled with a Bayesian approach, probabilistically discriminates between marks caused by different butchery behaviors. At the same time, this approach provides a complete set of 3D morphological measurements and descriptions. Our results strengthen statistical confidence in cut mark identification and offer a novel approach that can be used to discriminate subtle differences between cut mark types in the fossil record. Furthermore, this study provides an incipient digital library with which to make future quantitative comparisons to archaeological examples, including contentious specimens that are key to understanding the earliest hominin butchery.

This paper is a first attempt to investigate the variability in reindeer-procurement strategies in Upper Palaeolithic sites by means of sex ratios, as reflected by osteometrical data. For this purpose the “Variability Size Index” method... more

This paper is a first attempt to investigate the variability in reindeer-procurement strategies in Upper Palaeolithic sites by means of sex ratios, as reflected by osteometrical data. For this purpose the “Variability Size Index” method is employed. The idea behind the analysis is that sex ratios in reindeer (but also in red deer and in bovids) were mainly determined—as they are in modern populations—by the reproductive biology of the animals and not by environmental conditions. Thus, any deviations from these ratios must be explained in terms of behavioural/cultural variables. The faunal material for the study comes from sites in southwest France, Switzerland and southern Germany. During the Upper Palaeolithic females dominate in all assemblages, but a clear variability can be seen: some sites show sex ratios similar to those found in Palaeolithic carnivore dens, whereas other sites show somewhat higher frequencies of bulls. The variation in the sex ratios of reindeer among Upper Palaeolithic sites cannot be explained by either their chronological position or topographical location, but it is more probably a result from seasonal differences in reindeer-procurement. Thus generalizations about the exploitation of reindeer or other prey species based on results of a single site or layer of a site will mask the variability in the subsistence strategies which existed either during the Upper Palaeolithic or, at a finer scale, even during the Magdalenian.

La Caune de l’Arago (Tautavel, Pyrénées-Orientales) is one of the most important lower paleolithic sites in Western Europe. The middle complex of the cave (F and G levels) presents a remarkable abundance of mouflons. Studies of mortality... more

La Caune de l’Arago (Tautavel, Pyrénées-Orientales) is one of the most important lower paleolithic sites in Western Europe. The middle complex of the cave (F and G levels) presents a remarkable abundance of mouflons. Studies of mortality profils, bones fragmentation, conservation of the rests, skeletical representation and cut marks attests of an intense exploitation of these animals by men, essentially in a alimentary objective.

The Arago cave (Southern, France) is one of the most important Lower Palaeolithic site in western Europe. The middle complex of the stratigraphic sequence (Mindel) depicts a remarkable diversity and richness of small bovids (genus Ovis,... more

The Arago cave (Southern, France) is one of the most important Lower Palaeolithic site in western Europe. The middle complex of the stratigraphic sequence (Mindel) depicts a remarkable diversity and richness of small bovids (genus Ovis, Hemitragus, Rupicapra and Capra). This site is of a greate importance for a better understanding of caprids emergence and evolution. Mortality profils, skeletical representation, bone fragmentation, and cut marks analyses of muflon bones from levels F and G suggest an acquisition of this animal by hominids for a subsistence purpose.

Archaeological records of the treatment of human skulls for ceremonial or cult purposes appear at the end of Palaeolithic and are shown in different ways, being able to identify through the taphonomic modifications. According to this, the... more

Archaeological records of the treatment of human skulls for ceremonial or cult purposes appear at the end of Palaeolithic and are shown in different ways, being able to identify through the taphonomic modifications. According to this, the presence of skull cups (bowls from human calvaria) is currently considered evidence of ritualistic treatment of human bodies and it is found in many occasions associated to cannibalism. Prehistoric skull cups are characterized by a careful and repetitive fracture pattern and elevated frequency of cut marks. We aim to assess whether it is possible to identify a common pattern, through the cut marks disposition and frequency, in the treatment of modified skulls to produce skull-cups, by comparing evidence from different prehistoric assemblages in Europe. We compared published data and drawings of cut marks recorded on the surface of human skulls specimens from TD6.2 of Gran Dolina (early Pleistocene, Spain), Gough’s Cave, Fontbrégoua, Herxheim, and El Mirador Cave. Cut marks were spatially plotted as polylines over the bone templates in ArcGIS, which has allowed us to evaluate their distribution and greater or lesser presence in the different views of the human skulls. In all samples except in TD6.2 have been proposed some ritual component on the remains and perhaps of the cannibalism events. In three of the sites (Gough’s, Herxheim and El Mirador) the elaboration of skull cups was recorded. The location and distribution of cut marks on the studied skulls, were analysed using the ESRI ArcGIS software package. In order to statistically compare patterns among skulls of the same site and between skulls from different sites the cut marks were digitalised on standardised templates of a skull in six side-views: anterior face; dorsal; left lateral; right lateral; superior; and inferior). Results show a high frequency and a spatial distribution with a clustered pattern of cut marks are also shown common in all the skull cups and Fontbrégoua. This is particularly concerning the longitudinal cut marks located in the upper part of the skulls and superimposed or parallel to the sagittal suture. However, no parallels were observed with the treatment of Homo antecessor skulls. The scalping of the craniums from Gough’s Cave, Fontbrégoua, Herxheim, and El Mirador may be therefore associated with the preparation of the skulls (skull cups and non-skull cups) for ritual purposes. We statistically demonstrated that on skull cups there are areas with higher concentration of cut marks, corresponding mainly the removal of the scalp. The high frequency of cut marks can also be associated with defleshing and is found on the lateral and ventral facets of the skull. We have located patterns of spatial distribution of aggregate and regularly scattered cut marks in the skull craniums, with higher densities than in the skulls without prearranged morphology. Repetitive patterns, intended for intensive cleaning bone, have been recognised in specimens from Gough’s Cave, Fontbrégoua, Herxheim, and El Mirador Cave. A methodical process has been identified in the manufacturing of the skull cups. The removal of the scalp and defleshing was meticulous and intensive according to the number of cut marks, in all skull cups and Fontbrégoua. This pattern is repeated from the Magdalenian sites of Gough’s Cave to the Bronze Age site of El Mirador Cave, providing further evidence of the preparation of the skulls for their possible ritualization. Intensive tissue removal can be an indicator of human cannibalism in a ritual context.

The presence of skull cups (bowls made from human calvaria) is considered evidence of the ritualistic treatment of human bodies. These artefacts are characterised by careful manufacturing which can be taphonomically observed in bone... more

The presence of skull cups (bowls made from human calvaria) is considered evidence of the ritualistic treatment of human bodies. These artefacts are characterised by careful manufacturing which can be taphonomically observed in bone surface modifications (BSM) as cut marks and percussion marks. These BSM show morphological similarities across Upper Palaeolithic, Neolithic, and Bronze Age assemblages. This study is focused on the analysis of the frequency and spatial distribution of cut marks on skull cups from Gough's Cave (UK), Herxheim (Germany), and El Mirador Cave (Spain), as compared to the frequency and spatial distribution of modifications on human skulls (non-skull cups) from TD6.2 of Gran Dolina (Spain) and Fontbrégoua (France), with the aim of identifying a common pattern related to a symbolic background. Nearest neighbour analysis and Kernel analyses were used to identify the distribution pattern of anthropogenically induced modifications. The results indicate that the frequency and distribution of cut marks on human skulls modified into skull cups are unique and are most likely to be the result of meticulous cleaning of skulls. A similar frequency and distribution pattern of modifications was also observed on skulls from Fontbrégoua, possibly related to the collection of skulls as war trophies. No parallels with the treatment of skulls of Homo antecessor at TD6.2 of Gran Dolina were observed. We suggest that the treatment of human skulls for ritualistic purposes therefore results in a consistent pattern of modification.

Fish processing and consumption became an increasing part of the subsistence patterns in the lower stream of the Colorado River (Buenos Aires province, Eastern Pampa-Patagonian transition, Argentina) during the Middle and Late Holocene... more

Fish processing and consumption became an increasing part of the subsistence patterns in the lower stream of the Colorado River (Buenos Aires province, Eastern Pampa-Patagonian transition, Argentina) during the Middle and Late Holocene (ca. 6000–250 years BP). Freshwater and marine fish specimens recovered from the zooarch-aeological assemblages of these periods exhibit processing cutmarks. Since cutmarks are unusual traits in this type of prey and actualistic research related to fish processing are not abundant, an experimental study was performed. The objective was to determine whether the activities related to fish butchering generate cutmarks and, in that case, if a pattern in the distribution of the marks is found in specific anatomic units. Results indicate that independently from the kind (Perciformes or Siluriformes) and size of fish, as well as the type of lithic raw materials used in the butchering process, cutmarks were consistently found on vertebrae. Despite two different methods of butchering employed for Perciformes and Siluriformes, the filleting stage produced the highest frequency of cutmarks. Nevertheless, results obtained in the experimental work show differences when comparing with archaeological assemblages. A combination of factors related to variations in butchering processes, the butchery skill, the employment of specific methods of cooking, and taphonomic factors, could be the causes of the differences.

The excavations of 1961, led by Robert Arambourou in layer 4 of Duruthy rockshelter at Sorde-l'Abbaye, Landes in France, revealed an exceptional assemblage in two adjacent squares. According to the lithic and the bone industry and the... more

The excavations of 1961, led by Robert Arambourou in layer 4 of Duruthy rockshelter at Sorde-l'Abbaye, Landes in France, revealed an exceptional assemblage in two adjacent squares. According to the lithic and the bone industry and the radiocarbon dating, this was attributable to a late phase of the Middle Magdalenian. This assemblage included three horse sculptures in sandstone, marl limestone, and ivory, and somebody ornaments and tools made of both mineral and organic materials. A concentration of 23 horse mandible fragments found near or in direct contact with the three horse sculptures comprised a selection of bones from old horses (MNIc ¼ 11) that had been subject to particular treatment. All the bones had scraping marks aimed at the removal of the connective tissue down to the alveolar bone, possibly to reveal the teeth entirely. On three pieces, saw marks, made with flint, and deep incisions were observed. One piece had deep grooves in an almond shape, and a mandible fragment had an engraved design on it that was unique among the geometrical designs of the Pastou group of sites. By drawing upon concepts taken from Descola's anthropology of nature, we have been able to consider the informative potential of these pieces regarding the ontology of their authors.

This is a draft of a Table of archeological sites which had surface-marked proboscidean bones, with a brief discussion and references cited. Comments, additions, corrections are requested.