CERRO PORTEZUELO FAUNAL REMAINS AND WORKED BONE: WHAT CAN BE LEARNED FROM EARLY EXCAVATED COLLECTIONS

2013 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 201-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy Giddens Teeter
Keyword(s):  
Animal Species ◽  
Agricultural Fields ◽  
Faunal Remains ◽  
Faunal Assemblage ◽  
Postclassic Period ◽  
Domesticated Animals ◽  
Household Activities ◽  
Worked Bone ◽  
Selection Practices

AbstractAnalyses of the faunal remains from Cerro Portezuelo indicate that the site's pre-Hispanic residents made use of both wild and domesticated animals commonly found near lakeshores and agricultural fields. Most of the faunal assemblage examined comes from a Postclassic period residential structure, providing information regarding the animal species utilized by the early inhabitants of the area and the types of household activities they engaged in using tools made from worked bone. Examination of the collections from another part of the site shows intriguing similarities to the animal selection practices previously identified in the Epiclassic period collections from Oztoyahualco, Teotihuacan.

scholarly journals Notes on distribution and relative abundances of some animal species, and on climate in the Kruger National Park during prehistoric times

Koedoe ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ina Plug
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Animal Species ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Kruger National Park ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Animal Population ◽  
Faunal Remains ◽  
The Past ◽  
Relative Abundances ◽  
Insight Into

Faunal remains obtained from archaeological sites in the Kruger National Park, provide valuable information on the distributions of animal species in the past. The relative abundances of some species are compared with animal population statistics of the present. The study of the faunal samples, which date from nearly 7 000 years before present until the nineteenth century, also provides insight into climatic conditions during prehistoric times.

scholarly journals A 115,000-year-old expedient bone technology at Lingjing, Henan, China

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luc Doyon ◽  
Li Zhanyang ◽  
Wang Hua ◽  
Lila Geis ◽  
Francesco d'Errico
Keyword(s):  
Long Bone ◽  
Faunal Remains ◽  
Faunal Assemblage ◽  
Bone Tools ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
Lithic Assemblages ◽  
Technological Potential ◽  
Bone Fragments ◽  
Anthropogenic Processes ◽  
Stone Knapping

Activities attested since at least 2.6 Myr, such as stone knapping, marrow extraction, and woodworking may have allowed early hominins to recognize the technological potential of discarded skeletal remains and equipped them with a transferable skillset fit for the marginal modification and utilization of bone flakes. Identifying precisely when and where expedient bone tools were used in prehistory nonetheless remains a challenging task owing to the multiple natural and anthropogenic processes that can mimic deliberately knapped bones. Here, we compare a large sample of the faunal remains from Lingjing, a 115 ka-old site from China which has yielded important hominin remains and rich faunal and lithic assemblages, with bone fragments produced by experimentally fracturing Equus caballus long bones. Our results provide a set of qualitative and quantitative criteria that can help zooarchaeologists and bone technologists distinguish faunal remains with intentional flake removal scars from those resulting from carcass processing activities. Experimental data shows marrow extraction seldom generates diaphyseal fragments bearing more than six flake scars arranged contiguously or in interspersed series. Long bone fragments presenting such characteristics can, therefore, be interpreted as being purposefully knapped to be used as expediency tools. The identification, based on the above experimental criteria, of 56 bone tools in the Lingjing faunal assemblage is consistent with the smaller size of the lithics found in the same layer. The continuity gradient observed in the size of lithics and knapped bones suggest the latter were used for tasks in which the former were less or not effective.

scholarly journals Insect Marks on Bones from La Guillerma Archaeological Locality (Salado River Depression, Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Quaternary ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 45
Author(s):  
Paula D. Escosteguy ◽  
Alejandro E. Fernandez ◽  
María Isabel González
Keyword(s):  
Detailed Analysis ◽  
Buenos Aires ◽  
Total Sample ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Buenos Aires Province ◽  
Faunal Remains ◽  
Faunal Assemblage ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Salado River ◽  
Bone Remains

The La Guillerma archaeological locality is located in the northeast sector of Buenos Aires province (Argentina). Two of its sites (LG1 and LG5), dated between ca. 1400- and 600-years BP, have a great amount of faunal remains including deer, rodents, fish and small birds that are subjected to taphonomic agents and processes (e.g., weathering, manganese, roots). Previous studies have shown osteophagic behaviour in different insects (e.g., Coleoptera, Blattodea). In this paper, we evaluate their incidence on La Guillerma faunal assemblage. We performed an analysis on marks that were identified in bone remains of various taxa and applied the criteria for identifying bone alteration by insects (i.e., by measuring each trace and comparing them with the types of insect marks described in the literature). Fifteen specimens (LG1 = 6 and LG5 = 9) exhibited different types of modifications (e.g., pits with striae in base, pits with emanating striae, striations) that are related to the action of insects. Although the proportion of affected bones is low in relation to the total sample, we highlight our study as the first detailed analysis of insect marks on archaeological bones from Argentina. We also emphasize the significance of addressing insect-produced modifications on Argentinean archaeological sites.

scholarly journals Natural infection of delta mutant of SARS-CoV2 in Asiatic Lions of India

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karikalan Mathesh ◽  
Vishal Chander ◽  
Sonalika Mahajan ◽  
Pallavi Deol ◽  
Ravikant Agarwal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Analysis ◽  
Animal Species ◽  
Natural Infection ◽  
Emerging Diseases ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Detailed Characterization ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Domesticated Animals ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

The current pandemic caused by a novel coronavirus named as SARS-CoV2 has underlined the importance of emerging diseases of zoonotic importance. Along with human beings, several species of wild and pet animals have been demonstrated to be infected by SARS-CoV2, both naturally and experimentally. Additionally, with constant emergence of new variants, the species susceptibility might further change, warranting intensification of screening efforts. India is a vast and second most populated country, with a habitat of a very diverse range of animal species. In this study we are reporting infection of SARS-CoV2 in captive Asiatic lions. Detailed characterization revealed involvement of delta mutant (Pango lineage B.1.617.2) of SARS-CoV2 at two different locations. Interestingly, no other feline species enclosed in the zoo/park was found infected. The epidemiological and molecular analysis in this study will contribute to the understanding of SARS-CoV2 emerging mutants in wild and domesticated animals.

Chapter Two: Preliminary Findings from the Faunal Assemblage from Eleon

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-47
Author(s):  
Matthew Bullock ◽  
Yin Lam
Keyword(s):  
Management Strategy ◽  
Faunal Analysis ◽  
Faunal Remains ◽  
Faunal Assemblage ◽  
Animal Products ◽  
Sheep And Goats ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Time Periods

A relatively small, but well-preserved, assemblage of faunal remains centred on an apparent refuse heap in the southwest quadrant of Eleon has been analyzed to determine the relative representation of domesticated and wild taxa, as well as mortality profiles for sheep and goats. Although the total number of identified specimens is small, at 1059 fragments, several patterns that warrant further analysis have emerged in the data. The representation of deer among these remains is higher than at other sites on the Greek mainland. Lower-utility elements such as metapodials and tibiae are better represented than meatier portions of the skeleton, suggesting that entire carcasses were being processed on site. Mortality profiles developed from sheep and goat mandibles indicate a distinct management strategy for each species, with a large number of very young and juvenile goats, compared with many more mature sheep. Overall, the faunal remains from this deposit suggest a varied economy in the post-palatial period, exploiting a wide range of species for both primary and secondary animal products. Further faunal analysis at Eleon is warranted to allow comparisons across time periods and between locations at the site.

scholarly journals Faunal Remains from Torre Velha 12 (Serpa, Beja, Southwest of Portugal): Relationship between Animals and Bronze Age Communities

Heritage ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 216-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Senra ◽  
Cláudia Costa ◽  
Ana Bettencourt ◽  
Lídia Baptista ◽  
Sérgio Gomes
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Social Relationship ◽  
Faunal Remains ◽  
Faunal Assemblage ◽  
Emergency Intervention ◽  
The Social ◽  
Shell Fragment ◽  
Pottery Sherds ◽  
Human Burials ◽  
The Bronze Age

Torre Velha 12 is located in Serpa (Beja) and was excavated and directed by two of the authors (LB and SG), during an emergency intervention within the Alqueva Project. This site is characterized by negative structures filled with pottery sherds and other materials dating to the 3rd and 2nd millennia BCE. The aim of this paper is to publish the study of the faunal remains dated from Bronze Age (2nd millennium BCE). The faunal assemblage is small and comes from non-funerary pits and from funerary hypogea. Other than a bone artefact and an undetermined shell fragment, all of the remains integrated in the pits were classified as mammals. Sheep/goat is was frequently found while other species such as cattle and swines had lower frequencies. Fragments of cattle limbs are the only faunal remains associated with human burials and reveal a clear taxonomical and anatomical pattern that may be an indicator of a careful and structured anthropogenic behavior. The aim of this paper is to understand the social relationship between animals and the Bronze Age communities.

Shellfish Feeders, Carrion Eaters, and the Archaeology of Aquatic Adaptations

2001 ◽  
Vol 66 (3) ◽  
pp. 413-432 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon M. Erlandson ◽  
Madonna L. Moss
Keyword(s):  
Animal Species ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Human Origin ◽  
Faunal Remains ◽  
Aquatic Animals ◽  
Natural Sources ◽  
Aquatic Fauna ◽  
Potential Sources ◽  
Archaeological Materials

Numerous taphonomic studies show that archaeologists should carefully evaluate the origins of faunal remains found in archaeological sites. Although extensive research has been done on natural sources of terrestrial faunal remains in archaeological sites, much less has been devoted to potential sources of aquatic fauna. Hundreds of animal species feed on shellfish, fish, and other aquatic fauna, and many transport food to terrestrial landforms where they may be mixed or confused with faunal remains left by humans. In this paper, we illustrate the problem by summarizing the habits of a number of animals known to feed on and transport shellfish and other aquatic animals. We also discuss examples where the remains of aquatic animals of non-human origin may have been confused with archaeological materials. Such biological imprints may be most pronounced on early sites, where questions about the antiquity of aquatic adaptations are paramount.

Chronology and Faunal Remains of the Khayrgas Cave (Eastern Siberia, Russia)

Radiocarbon ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 575-582 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaroslav V Kuzmin ◽  
Pavel A Kosintsev ◽  
Aleksandr D Stepanov ◽  
Gennady G Boeskorov ◽  
Richard J Cruz
Keyword(s):  
Animal Species ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Upper Paleolithic ◽  
Eastern Siberia ◽  
Faunal Remains ◽  
Human Occupation ◽  
Northern Asia ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Last Glacial Maximum ◽  
The Last Glacial

AbstractThe Khayrgas Cave in Yakutia (eastern Siberia) is one of the most important Upper Paleolithic sites in northern Asia, and has been the subject of extensive 14C dating and study of mammal bones. The upper part of the cave sequence (Layers 2–4) dates to the Holocene (~4100–8200 BP), and the lower part (Layers 5–7) to the Late Pleistocene (~13,100–21,500 BP). In Layers 2–4, only extant animal species are known; ecologically they belong to a forest-type ecosystem. In Layers 5–7, several extinct species were identified, and the environment at that time corresponded to open and semi-open ecosystems. The Khayrgas Cave provides rare but reliable evidence of human occupation in the deep continental region of eastern Siberia at the Last Glacial Maximum, ~20,700–21,500 BP.

The Bosman Site: Seasonality and Diversity of the Faunal Assemblage from a Protohistoric Village in Muskingum County, Ohio

2001 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 309-351
Author(s):  
Flora Church
Keyword(s):  
Mammalian Species ◽  
Fur Trade ◽  
Food Resources ◽  
Late Spring ◽  
Faunal Remains ◽  
Faunal Assemblage ◽  
Gastropod Species ◽  
Trade Networks ◽  
Mollusc Species ◽  
European Trade

Excavation of part of the Bosman site, a Wellsburg phase site (A.D. 1520-1580) located in Muskingum county, Ohio, revealed four structures and associated features within a palisade. Nineteen mammalian species, one bird, five reptiles, one amphibian, five fishes, two gastropod species, and an undetermined number of mollusc species were identified in the sample of 70,293 faunal remains. Faunal resources are almost equally distributed across three seasons of the year from late spring through fall. While the dominant food resources appear to have been elk, deer, turtles, turkey, fish, and bear, the amount of beaver remains recovered from the Bosman site, is greater than expected if the proportion of beaver is simply a function of sampling. Bosman site inhabitants may have been participating indirectly in Indian-European trade networks. The intensity of processing of faunal resources suggests pressure from some direction, perhaps resulting from the effects of the fur trade, on subsistence.

scholarly journals Faunal Remains From Diang Mahang In Kalimantan: Taxonomic Identification And Their Archaeological Context

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 137-154
Author(s):  
Vida Pervaya Rusianti Kusmartono ◽  
Ni Luh Gde Dyah Mega Hafsari
Keyword(s):  
Animal Species ◽  
Inductive Reasoning ◽  
Analytic Method ◽  
Taxonomic Identification ◽  
Archaeological Research ◽  
Faunal Remains ◽  
The Past ◽  
Animal Remains ◽  
Diagnostic Characteristics ◽  
A Site

Faunal remains, both vertebrates and invertebrates, are important discoveries in archaeological research. Such proxy may provide information on the identity of animal species which may associate with human at a site. This research aims to understand the existence of faunal remains in the rockshelter of Diang Mahang to further comprehend the interaction of humans and their environment in the past. No research involving animal remains in this region has been conducted before. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out a taxonomic identification of the faunal remains related to human activities in the past in Diang Mahang. This study applies a qualitative-analytic method with inductive reasoning. The analysis was performed by observing the diagnostic characteristics of a bone to determine its taxonomic identity. Results of diagnostic characteristics showed that vertebrate remains comprise three main classes, i.e., Mammals, Reptiles, and Pisces. The remains of the invertebrate consist of Molluscs and Arthropods. Marine Cypraeid also existed but was not of the edible variety. Contextually, faunal remains are associated with lithics and pottery, indicating a micro-scale activity in Diang Mahang related to humans’ daily life in the rockshelter.

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