Equifinality, Assemblage Integrity and Behavioral Inferences at Verberie

• Autores: James G. Enloe
• Localización: Journal of taphonomy, ISSN 1696-0815, Vol. 2, Nº. 1-4, 2004, págs. 147-165
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Body part representation is often used to identify site function, particularly transport to or transport from kill sites. Taphonomic research has indicated that a number of pre- and post-depositional agencies can result in similar part representation, largely a function of bone density, which can be measured in a variety of ways. A number of procedures for measuring bone density are discussed and applied to a late Upper Paleolithic faunal assemblage from Verberie, France. Comparisons of those densities with percent survivorship of reindeer bones from the archaeological site indicate that density-mediated attrition, most commonly associated with equifinality, is not primarily responsible for the skeletal element representation. A reverse bulk utility curve suggests that high and medium nutritional value skeletal elements were removed from this hunting site for subsequent processing and consumption elsewhere.