Articles producció científica> Història i Història de l'Art

Experimental butchering of a chimpanzee carcass for archaeological purposes

  • Identification data

    Identifier: PC:1171
    Authors:
    Saladié, P.Cáceres, I.Huguet, R.Rodríguez-Hidalgo, A.Santander, B.Ollé, A.Gabucio, M.J.Martín, P.Marín, J.
    Abstract:
    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). © 2015 Saladié et
  • Others:

    Author, as appears in the article.: Saladié, P. Cáceres, I. Huguet, R. Rodríguez-Hidalgo, A. Santander, B. Ollé, A. Gabucio, M.J. Martín, P. Marín, J.
    Department: Història i Història de l'Art
    URV's Author/s: SALADIÉ BALLESTÉ, PALMIRA CÁCERES CUELLO DE ORO, ISABEL HUGUET PÀMIES, ROSA Rodríguez-Hidalgo, A. Santander, B. OLLÉ CAÑELLAS, ANDREU GABUCIO VILARRASA, MARIA JOANA Martín, P. Marín, J.
    Keywords: Arqueopaleontologia Arqueologia Prehistòrica animal tissue Archeology
    Abstract: 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). © 2015 Saladié et
    Research group: Autoecologia Humana del Quaternari
    Thematic Areas: Història Historia History
    licence for use: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/es/
    ISSN: 1932-6203
    Author identifier: N/D N/D N/D N/D N/D N/D N/D N/D N/D
    Record's date: 2015-04-28
    Journal volume: 10
    Papper version: info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
    Link to the original source: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0121208
    Licence document URL: https://repositori.urv.cat/ca/proteccio-de-dades/
    Article's DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0121208
    Entity: Universitat Rovira i Virgili
    Journal publication year: 2015
    First page: 121208
    Publication Type: Article Artículo Article
  • Keywords:

    Arqueologia
    Arqueopaleontologia
    Arqueologia Prehistòrica
    animal tissue
    Archeology
    Història
    Historia
    History
    1932-6203
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