Differentiating Chopping/Hacking Sharp Force Trauma Characteristics on Bone Following Burning of Remains

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2025: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Bioarchaeologists and forensic anthropologists are often involved in the analysis and interpretation of perimortem trauma occurring to human remains with the goal of recognizing trauma characteristics that can be utilized in understanding the tool class used to inflict the trauma. Accurate interpretation of skeletal trauma also relies on the correct assessment of taphonomic factors such as the burning of remains as burning can modify perimortem trauma. However, minimal research examines the impact that the burning of bone has on the examination of chopping/hacking sharp force trauma cut mark characteristics for the purpose of tool class differentiation. Additionally, the inconsistency in experimental standardization of these limited chopping/hacking taphonomic studies makes comparing the results difficult. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to assess how burning impacts the recognition of macroscopic and microscopic characteristics left on partially fleshed pig (Sus scrofa domesticus) bones by several chopping/hacking tool classes (axe, hatchet, and cleaver). The goal of this experiment is to evaluate how burning affects the recognition of chopping/hacking tool class characteristics on long bones. This research also aims to develop a standardized protocol for evaluation of chopping/hacking characteristics that have undergone burning to provide more appropriate comparisons between the results of experimental studies.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)   •
• SAA 2025: Individual Abstracts

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 50279