From Reindeer to Wallaby: Recovering Patterns of Seasonality, Mobility, and Prey Selection in the Palaeolithic Old World

Data regarding major human prey from Franco-Cantabrian Palaeolithic sites have been gained through skeletochronological analyses. Trends gleaned from these data suggest temporal shifts in mobility, territoriality, and subsistence strategies. Compilation of control samples of teeth of recent animals (e.g., Cervus, Rangifer, Equus, Capreolus, Bos) of known-age and date-of-death has been requisite to these growth-increment studies. These methods have now been applied to modern Bennett's wallaby (Macropus rufogriseus) populations from Tasmania in order to expand the potential of skeletochronological study for Australia's Palaeolithic-aged marsupial archaeofaunas.     

The Beasts At Large – Perennial Questions and New Paradigms for Caribbean Translocation Research. Part II: Mammalian Introductions in Cultural Context

Looking to clarify outstanding questions about human-animal dynamics in the pre-Columbian Caribbean, archaeologists have recently renewed investigation into the sociocultural context of mammal translocations to the islands. In this second instalment of a three-article series, I examine Amerindian ethnophoresy, that is, the process of anthropogenic species dispersal and its associated cultural practices, drawing on archaeological, ethnographic, and ethnohistoric evidence. Building on the ethnozoogeographic baselines established in Part I, I consider the tangible and intangible roles of introduced mammals, with particular attention given to subsistence, status, symbolic and ritual dimensions. I discuss enduring speculation over the management and incipient domestication of these species and its broader significance. Collectively, these topics are important because they inform explanation of the cause, extent and consequences of non-native animal introductions and allow us to understand translocation as an adaptive response to the natural and cultural environment. I conclude that resolution of the managed/domesticated status of non-native animals, in particular, constitutes the most critical research area in Caribbean ethnophoresy since this bears directly on the environmental impact and ecological legacy of mammal introductions in the region. This last topic is addressed in Part III of the series.     

Experimental harvesting of wild peas in Israel: implications for the origins of Near East farming

Previous evaluations of the potential advantage of farming over foraging have been based on experimental harvesting of wild cereals in Near Eastern ecosystems. The highly successful combination of cereals and legumes, “the Near Eastern crops assemblage”, is considered a natural choice due to the complementary nutritional value of the two crop types. Yet, legumes were rarely referred to in models describing early farming and the transition from foraging to farming. Wild legumes differ from wild cereals in several attributes pertaining to domestication, including population density (patchy vs. dense), growth habit (indeterminate vs. determinate), dispersal units (camouflaged seeds vs. awned spikelets), seed dormancy (90–80% vs. 50%), and year to year establishment (erratic vs. regular). We have analyzed the yield potential of three wild pea species (Pisum elatius, P. humile, and P. fulvum) in several ecosystems in Israel. All three pea species have patchy distribution patterns and the yield potential of the wild populations is highly variable. A harvest rate of 0.6–610 grams (calculated per collector) of clean dry grain per hour of harvest time was estimated. Among the three species studied the one adopted for domestication appears to be the least productive. This suggests that the potential productivity of wild peas was not the only or even the major consideration for domestication.     

An Uncommon Type of Smoking Implement from Ottoman Palestine

Abstract

The presence of an uncommon and barely reported type of ceramic smoking implement found in Ottoman-period archaeological contexts in sites in Palestine is discussed. This implement, part of a large group of much more common Near Eastern smoking implements, expands our knowledge about the material culture and daily habits of the local population, and provides somewhat surprising evidence for the ethnic diversity of Palestine in the Ottoman period.     

The Natufian: Settlement variability and economic adaptations in the Levant at the end of the Pleistocene

The relationship between current interpretations of Natufian settlement and subsistence and available archaeological data are examined in light of recent research, particularly in Jordan. Regional variability in adaptive strategies is discernible, particularly between forest and coastal sites versus steppe and desert sites. Greater evidence of plant processing and more intensive occupation characterize settlement in the former, although year-round occupation has yet to be conclusively demonstrated. Patterned variability also exists between two classes of steppe and desert area settlements. One set of steppe and desert sites is characterized by a broad range of activities and moderate settlement permanence and activity intensity, while less permanent occupation and more specialized activities focused primarily on hunting typify the other set of sites. Evidence for food production in the Natufian is examined and, although the domestication process may have begun, no morphological evidence exists for the domestication of plants or herd animals. Finally, worthwhile areas for future research are outlined.     

Wild lentil and chickpea harvest in Israel: bearing on the origins of Near Eastern farming

Several small seeded plants were domesticated as grain crops in the Near East and other domestication centers. In this study we investigate the potential of small seeded wild lentils, and chickpea as a food source for hunters-gatherers. The yield potential and the return in terms of grams of seeds per hour of collection time were evaluated in several wild populations in Israel. The yield figures never exceeded 50 g/h, and in most cases were below 20 g/h. These data reaffirm Ladizinsky's claim that wild lentils are unlikely to have been a staple resource for hunter-gatherers prior to plant domestication. The result presented herein may be significant vis-a-vis the role attributed to small seeded (‘inefficient’) plants in the Broad Spectrum hypothesis concerning late Paleolithic, pre-agricultural societies. It may also contribute to a more careful interpretation of plant remains recovered from pre-agricultural sites.     

殷墟孝民屯遗址出土家猪的死亡年龄与相关问题研究

家猪是殷墟孝民屯遗址居民消费的主要肉食消费对象,本文对该地点出土家猪的死亡年龄结构、宰杀模式、畜产品开发与晚商城市的肉食供应等问题进行动物考古学的研究,认为当时人养猪的主要目的是为了获取肉产品,殷墟文化一、二期时孝民屯居民可能主要靠自己养猪获得猪肉,而殷墟文化二、四期时该地点居民日常食用的猪肉则很可能主要依赖外来供应。