Were Large Mammal Limb Bones Processed to Extract Marrow and Render Grease at the Danielson Ranch site (CA-VEN-395)?

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2019: General Sessions" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Danielson Ranch (CA-VEN-395) is a multi-component site containing both significant prehistoric shell midden deposits and a historical ranch complex. CA-VEN-395 consists of five discrete loci dated to between 2690 and 860 cal BP, with the most recent occupation as late as 290-60 cal BP. Excavation revealed vertebrate faunal remains representing specimens from five animal classes (Aves, Mammalia, Reptilia, Chondrichthyes, Actinopterygii), but consisted primarily of small and large terrestrial mammals. A majority of the identifiable elements were from the skulls, feet, and vertebrae of these animals, leaving limb bones grossly underrepresented. Recent studies on bone fragmentation, however, have revealed the importance of undifferentiated bones in archaeological assemblages as evidence of marrow and grease extraction or their transformation into other artifacts (e.g., bone gorges). For this study, we used body part representation, bone size class, and fragmentation patterns to confirm that people at the site were processing limb bone to extract marrow and render grease. Our results have implications for quantifying zooarchaeological remains and expanding interpretations of their patterns in the archaeological record.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 26195