Cut-marks observed on fossil bones and teeth are an important source of evidence in the reconstru... more Cut-marks observed on fossil bones and teeth are an important source of evidence in the reconstruction of prehistoric butchery strategies. Micromorphological analyses of cut-marks have been shown to further the interpretation of hominin behavioural patterns. However, to date, the microscopic investigation of cut-marks has been limited to two-dimensional analyses or to the qualitative assessment of three-dimensional (3D) morphology. A new
The 84th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists, St. Louis, MO, 2015
ABSTRACT Distinguishing cannibalism from ritualistic practices involving defleshing and disarticu... more ABSTRACT Distinguishing cannibalism from ritualistic practices involving defleshing and disarticulation of a body without consumption of any human tissue (such as secondary burial and trophy taking) commonly relies on the analysis of skeletal element representation and the identification of bone modifications (cut marks, bone breakage patterns, human tooth marks, cooking traces). It has been suggested that cannibalism can only be demonstrated when the archaeological context and bone modifications can be directly linked to nutritional exploitation of the body. We present here a comparison between a human bone assemblage interpreted as cannibalism (Gough’s Cave, UK; Upper Palaeolithic, ~14,700 cal BP) and three assemblages of disarticulated human bones interpreted as funerary defleshing and disarticulation after a period of decay (Padina, Vlasac, and Lepenski Vir, Serbia; Mesolithic-Neolithic, ~9,500–5,500 BC). Results have shown that the distribution of cut-marks is comparable in the four assemblages and can equally be associated with disarticulation, defleshing, skinning and fileting of the muscle mass. The difference in the frequency of modification, however, is highly significant. The frequency of cut marks at Gough’s Cave exceeds 65%, while it is below 1% in the Serbian sites, and no percussion or human tooth marks have been observed on the three Serbian collections. Results suggest that a higher frequency of bone modification is compelling evidence for processing of the human body during cannibalism.
The 84th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists, St. Louis, MO, 2015
ABSTRACT Cut-marks are produced when a knife (of flint, metal etc.) strikes the surface of a bone... more ABSTRACT Cut-marks are produced when a knife (of flint, metal etc.) strikes the surface of a bone. Cutmarked human remains are surprisingly common in prehistoric contexts. Ascertaining the interval between an organism’s death and the production of cut-marks often remains uncertain, relying on indirect evidence. New 3-Dimensional technology (the Alicona InfiniteFocus Microscope) enables micro-morphometric characteristics of cut-marks to be quantified. This paper presents research that aims to determine whether cut-marks on a fresh corpse leave different micro-morphometric traces than those occurring after a period of decomposition. Cut-marks on human and non-human remains from four prehistoric sites have been analysed: the British Upper Palaeolithic (~14,700 cal BP) site of Gough’s Cave, interpreted as cannibalism, and the Serbian Mesolithic-Neolithic sites (~9,500–5,500 BC) of Padina, Vlasac and Lepenski Vir interpreted as funerary defleshing and disarticulation after a period of decay. Results have shown that the micro-morphology of cut-marks on human and non-human remains at Gough’s Cave are similar and relate to specific butchery tasks. The micro-metrics, however, are different, probably due to differences in body size. At the three Serbian sites, both the micromorphology and micro-metrics of cut-marks on human and non-humans remains differ, suggesting that the human remains were not butchered or fresh when cut. This pilot study suggests that micro-morphometric characteristics of cut-marks can be used to infer past funerary behaviour, and it would be valuable to increase the size of this data-set.
Ponencia presentada en: Pathways to Ancient Britain Project Workshop QMUL: London, United Kingdom... more Ponencia presentada en: Pathways to Ancient Britain Project Workshop QMUL: London, United Kingdom, 14-15 may, 2015
Les gestes funeraires. Etat de conservation du materiel osteologique. Des particularites demograp... more Les gestes funeraires. Etat de conservation du materiel osteologique. Des particularites demographiques propres au site des Fedons. Recherches de liens de parente et donnees sur l'etat sanitaire et social.
Genetic investigations of Upper Palaeolithic Europe have revealed a complex and transformative hi... more Genetic investigations of Upper Palaeolithic Europe have revealed a complex and transformative history of human population movements and ancestries, with evidence of several instances of genetic change across the European continent in the period following the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Concurrent with these genetic shifts, the post-LGM period is characterized by a series of significant climatic changes, population expansions and cultural diversification. Britain lies at the extreme northwest corner of post-LGM expansion and its earliest Late Glacial human occupation remains unclear. Here we present genetic data from Palaeolithic human individuals in the United Kingdom and the oldest human DNA thus far obtained from Britain or Ireland. We determine that a Late Upper Palaeolithic individual from Gough's Cave probably traced all its ancestry to Magdalenian-associated individuals closely related to those from sites such as El Mirón Cave, Spain, and Troisième Caverne in Goyet, Belgi...
<p>(A) Drawing of the tool with sequence of post-depositional breaks indicated [<a href=... more <p>(A) Drawing of the tool with sequence of post-depositional breaks indicated [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0202021#pone.0202021.ref001" target="_blank">1</a>–<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0202021#pone.0202021.ref003" target="_blank">3</a>]; (B) Photograph of the cortical side, sharp edge, trabecular side, smooth edge, tip and base of the tool. (C) SEM images detailing (a) scrape marks and polish along the smooth edge on the cortical side of the tool and (b) deep scrape marks (re-sharpening) along the sharp edge on the cortical side; (c) flaking near the tip of the tool, and (d) detail of the flat break surface near the base of the tool; (e) wear pattern near the sharp edge on the trabecular side of the tool, and (f) deep scrape-marks near the smooth edge on the trabecular side; (g) flaking close to the tip, and (h) polishing of the smooth edge of the tool.</p
Cut-marks observed on fossil bones and teeth are an important source of evidence in the reconstru... more Cut-marks observed on fossil bones and teeth are an important source of evidence in the reconstruction of prehistoric butchery strategies. Micromorphological analyses of cut-marks have been shown to further the interpretation of hominin behavioural patterns. However, to date, the microscopic investigation of cut-marks has been limited to two-dimensional analyses or to the qualitative assessment of three-dimensional (3D) morphology. A new
The 84th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists, St. Louis, MO, 2015
ABSTRACT Distinguishing cannibalism from ritualistic practices involving defleshing and disarticu... more ABSTRACT Distinguishing cannibalism from ritualistic practices involving defleshing and disarticulation of a body without consumption of any human tissue (such as secondary burial and trophy taking) commonly relies on the analysis of skeletal element representation and the identification of bone modifications (cut marks, bone breakage patterns, human tooth marks, cooking traces). It has been suggested that cannibalism can only be demonstrated when the archaeological context and bone modifications can be directly linked to nutritional exploitation of the body. We present here a comparison between a human bone assemblage interpreted as cannibalism (Gough’s Cave, UK; Upper Palaeolithic, ~14,700 cal BP) and three assemblages of disarticulated human bones interpreted as funerary defleshing and disarticulation after a period of decay (Padina, Vlasac, and Lepenski Vir, Serbia; Mesolithic-Neolithic, ~9,500–5,500 BC). Results have shown that the distribution of cut-marks is comparable in the four assemblages and can equally be associated with disarticulation, defleshing, skinning and fileting of the muscle mass. The difference in the frequency of modification, however, is highly significant. The frequency of cut marks at Gough’s Cave exceeds 65%, while it is below 1% in the Serbian sites, and no percussion or human tooth marks have been observed on the three Serbian collections. Results suggest that a higher frequency of bone modification is compelling evidence for processing of the human body during cannibalism.
The 84th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists, St. Louis, MO, 2015
ABSTRACT Cut-marks are produced when a knife (of flint, metal etc.) strikes the surface of a bone... more ABSTRACT Cut-marks are produced when a knife (of flint, metal etc.) strikes the surface of a bone. Cutmarked human remains are surprisingly common in prehistoric contexts. Ascertaining the interval between an organism’s death and the production of cut-marks often remains uncertain, relying on indirect evidence. New 3-Dimensional technology (the Alicona InfiniteFocus Microscope) enables micro-morphometric characteristics of cut-marks to be quantified. This paper presents research that aims to determine whether cut-marks on a fresh corpse leave different micro-morphometric traces than those occurring after a period of decomposition. Cut-marks on human and non-human remains from four prehistoric sites have been analysed: the British Upper Palaeolithic (~14,700 cal BP) site of Gough’s Cave, interpreted as cannibalism, and the Serbian Mesolithic-Neolithic sites (~9,500–5,500 BC) of Padina, Vlasac and Lepenski Vir interpreted as funerary defleshing and disarticulation after a period of decay. Results have shown that the micro-morphology of cut-marks on human and non-human remains at Gough’s Cave are similar and relate to specific butchery tasks. The micro-metrics, however, are different, probably due to differences in body size. At the three Serbian sites, both the micromorphology and micro-metrics of cut-marks on human and non-humans remains differ, suggesting that the human remains were not butchered or fresh when cut. This pilot study suggests that micro-morphometric characteristics of cut-marks can be used to infer past funerary behaviour, and it would be valuable to increase the size of this data-set.
Ponencia presentada en: Pathways to Ancient Britain Project Workshop QMUL: London, United Kingdom... more Ponencia presentada en: Pathways to Ancient Britain Project Workshop QMUL: London, United Kingdom, 14-15 may, 2015
Les gestes funeraires. Etat de conservation du materiel osteologique. Des particularites demograp... more Les gestes funeraires. Etat de conservation du materiel osteologique. Des particularites demographiques propres au site des Fedons. Recherches de liens de parente et donnees sur l'etat sanitaire et social.
Genetic investigations of Upper Palaeolithic Europe have revealed a complex and transformative hi... more Genetic investigations of Upper Palaeolithic Europe have revealed a complex and transformative history of human population movements and ancestries, with evidence of several instances of genetic change across the European continent in the period following the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Concurrent with these genetic shifts, the post-LGM period is characterized by a series of significant climatic changes, population expansions and cultural diversification. Britain lies at the extreme northwest corner of post-LGM expansion and its earliest Late Glacial human occupation remains unclear. Here we present genetic data from Palaeolithic human individuals in the United Kingdom and the oldest human DNA thus far obtained from Britain or Ireland. We determine that a Late Upper Palaeolithic individual from Gough's Cave probably traced all its ancestry to Magdalenian-associated individuals closely related to those from sites such as El Mirón Cave, Spain, and Troisième Caverne in Goyet, Belgi...
<p>(A) Drawing of the tool with sequence of post-depositional breaks indicated [<a href=... more <p>(A) Drawing of the tool with sequence of post-depositional breaks indicated [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0202021#pone.0202021.ref001" target="_blank">1</a>–<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0202021#pone.0202021.ref003" target="_blank">3</a>]; (B) Photograph of the cortical side, sharp edge, trabecular side, smooth edge, tip and base of the tool. (C) SEM images detailing (a) scrape marks and polish along the smooth edge on the cortical side of the tool and (b) deep scrape marks (re-sharpening) along the sharp edge on the cortical side; (c) flaking near the tip of the tool, and (d) detail of the flat break surface near the base of the tool; (e) wear pattern near the sharp edge on the trabecular side of the tool, and (f) deep scrape-marks near the smooth edge on the trabecular side; (g) flaking close to the tip, and (h) polishing of the smooth edge of the tool.</p
Uploads
Papers