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Impact of Carnivore Ravaging on Zooarchaeological Measures of Element Abundance

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Curtis W. Marean  and
Lillian M. Spencer
Curtis W. Marean
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Doctoral Program in Anthropological Sciences, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794-4364
Lillian M. Spencer
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Doctoral Program in Anthropological Sciences, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794-4364
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Abstract

Most zooarchaeologists estimate limb-bone abundance from limb ends. Researchers have provided detailed documentation of the preferential destruction by carnivores of limb ends (Binford 1981; Binford et al. 1988; Blumenschine 1988; Brain 1981; Marean et al. 1990; Orloff and Marean 1990; Sutcliffe 1970). Others have observed differences between limb abundances calculated on limb shafts vs. ends, suggesting shaft pieces may provide more accurate estimates of original element abundance in carnivore-ravaged assemblages (Bunn 1986; Bunn and Kroll 1986; Blumenschine 1988; Klein 1975; Marean et al. 1990; Orloff and Marean 1990). However, the exact quantitative effect of carnivore ravaging on measures of element abundance has never been investigated. We provide an experimental test of the accuracy of different bone portions for estimating the original element abundance after carnivore ravaging. Spotted hyenas were allowed to ravage 33 simulated archaeological sites of known element abundance. Estimates of abundance calculated on limb ends differ greatly from original bone abundance, and estimates based on proximal/distal-shaft pieces are also inaccurate. Estimates from middle-shaft fragments, however, are uniquely accurate. These experimental data mandate reanalysis of assemblages where limb frequencies were calculated from limb ends and carnivore ravaging is implicated, and experimentally vindicate observations originally provided by Klein (1975).

Résumé

Résumé

La mayoría de los zooarqueólogos estiman la abundancia de huesos correspondientes a los miembros a partir de las porciones finales de tales huesos. Existe detallada documentación acerca de la destrucción preferencial de tales partes por obra de carnívoros (Binford 1981; Binford et al. 1988; Blumenschine 1988; Brain 1981; Marean et al. 1990; Orloff y Marean 1990; Sutcliffe 1970). Otros han observado diferencias entre la abundancia de miembros calculada en base a las diáfisis y las epífisis de los miembros, sugiriendo que los restos de diáfisis pueden proporcionar estimaciones más exactas de la abundancia original de elementos en conjuntos afectados por carnívoros (Bunn 1986; Bunn y Kroll 1986; Blumenschine 1988; Klein 1975; Marean et al. 1990; Orloff y Marean 1990). Sin embargo, el efecto cuantitativo preciso del descarne por obra de carnívoros sobre las medidas de abundancia de elementos no ha sido investigado. Se ofrece una prueba experimental de la exactitud de diferentes porciones de huesos para estimar la abundancia original de elementos luego del descarne por carnívoros. Se permitió que hienas manchadas atacaran 33 sitios arqueológicos simulados con abundancias de elementos conocidas. Las estimaciones de abundancia calculadas sobre la base de epífisis difieren significativamente de la abundancia original de huesos; estimaciones basadas en fragmentos de diáfisis proximales/distales son también inexactas, en tantos que cálculos sobre fragmentos centrales de diáfisis proporcionan estimaciones singularmente precisas. Estos datos experimentales exigen un nuevo análisis de conjuntos en los que las frecuencias de extremidades han sido calculadas a partir de epífisis existiendo la posibilidad de actividad por parte de carnívoros. Las observaciones originalmente presentadas por Klein (1975) son reinvicadas a través de los resultados experimentales.

Type
Reports
Information
American Antiquity , Volume 56 , Issue 4 , October 1991 , pp. 645 - 658
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for American Archaeology 1991

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