More Than One Way to Skin a Goat

Summary

Cut marks on faunal remains are vital for interpreting the tool use and butchering behavior of ancient peoples. To further explore the inferential possibilities of cut mark analysis, and to determine how easily different butchering behaviors can be identified we conducted a series of preliminary experiments to test the hypothesis that the number, and orientation of cut marks left on carcasses that were butchered while hanging differ from those left on a carcasses butchered on the ground. Preliminary results indicate that marks on long bones were nearly twice as numerous on bones defleshed on the ground versus those hung up. In addition, cut marks on long bones from the carcass on the ground were more evenly distributed over the bones than those on the hanging carcass. Although preliminary, the results suggest that the avenues of research into cut mark analysis explored here might prove to be fruitful.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 16421