Taphonomy, butchery and food preparation

Professor Richard Walter

An introduction to taphonomy
The study of the transition of animal remains from the

living world into the geological world

Taphonomy in the lab, working with bones

What we look for in the assemblages

Archaeology involves a set of tasks connected to gathering data

A set of tasks connected to the analysis of data

What we find in the ground

What we examine in the laboratory

A set of ideas and arguments linking the data and the analysis to the conclusions

What we say about people in the past

What we find in the ground

What we examine in the laboratory

These assumptions are mainly to do with such issues as: Method Theory Sampling strategy etc

What we say about people in the past

What we find in the ground

What we examine in the laboratory

These assumptions are more difficult

What we say about people in the past

How do we know that what we bring to the lab is really suitable that it is able to be analysed and form the basis for some stories about the past?
Cultural or natural Primary or secondary deposition Has it been subjected to transforms
C-transforms N-transforms

Before we analyse material from a site, we need to understand as much as we can about the representativeness of the sample what factors have influenced its structure and composition

The study of all processes that take place from the time something dies until it is recovered as part of an archaeological site
Cultural processes Natural processes

This can be conceived of in terms of a series of transformations each transformation involving a reduction in the amount of information available

Living organisms

C1

Death assemblage

Archaeological sample

C5

Analytical sample

C2

C4

Discard assemblage

Archaeological Assemblage

C6

N1

C3

Burial assemblage

N2

Fossil assemblage

Interpretation

Living organisms

C1

Death assemblage

Archaeological sample

C5

Analytical sample

C2

C4

Discard assemblage

Archaeological Assemblage

C6

N1

C3

Burial assemblage

N2

Fossil assemblage

Interpretation

Lewis Binford (American New Archaeology) The study of the linkages between human behaviour and the artefacts (or other materials) that result

The study of the relationship between artefacts and behaviour

The foundation for ethnoarchaeology

You can study ongoing processes in order to understand processes in the past N-transforms
Natural processes (weathering, erosion, soil deposition

and development)

C-transforms
Humans behave today roughly the same as how they did in

the past

Role of analogy

Butchery Deliberate reduction and modification of an animal carcass into consumable parts

Stages
Primary Slaughter, evisceration, carcass dressing Secondary Division of carcass into major units Tertiary Final division before/during use

Slaughter and primary butchery Dressed carcasses Further carcass reduction Joints of meat Secondary Butchery waste Marginal parts Long bone epiphyses Some long bone shafts Primary Butchery waste Marginal parts

Domestic food processing Portions Consumption Table waste Tertiary Butchery waste Long bone parts Fragments Tertiary Butchery waste Long bone parts Fragments

Spatial segregation of activities

Butchery stages Consumption Disposal/subsequent use

Interior Central Otago Hawkesburn

Cave and rockshelter sites

Coastal Archaic site

Otago Coast

Feet, necks, skulls

Hawkesburn

Larger long bones

Coastal Archaic site

All bones, bias towards larger long bones

Surface marks
Marks left on the surface of bone by butchery

Reductions
Subdivision of skeletal elements during the

process of butchery

Narrow linear grooves Cross-section usually v-shaped Sometimes fine striations along cuts Often in clusters More prominent on ridges

 Broad linear depressions Cross-section usually

v-shaped
Often cleanly cut on one

edge, broken on other

More prominent on ridges

 Parallel/near-parallel

striations
Cross-sections variable

shape
Often irregular lines

between striae

Irregular depressions Minute fragmentation around rim Often with associated flake scars

Sawing Chopping Clean cut through element Usually no marks on reduction surface Breaking Snap through mechanical force Wide range of breakage shapes Difficult to distinguish from natural breaks

Small parallel serrations across reduction surface

Breaks
Wide range of forms Difficult to distinguish from cultural

Weathering
Aerial - while on the surface Sub-aerial - while under ground

Scale for recording extent of weathering

10

Very fine striations, often multi-directional

Hair line cracks on surface

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Longitudinal split in bone shaft

Parts of bone surface flaking off

Parts of original bone surface disappear

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Dogs
Punctures Crenulations Pitting Furrows

Rats
Grooves

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Colour reflects extent Scale for measuring extent of burning

Taphonomy
Process Influences all assemblages Must always take it into account Sometimes prevents other interpretation Provides opportunities for greater understanding

of site formation and cultural behaviour

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