GC–MS ANALYSIS OF LIPIDS IN PREHISTORIC ROCK PAINTS AND ASSOCIATED OXALATE COATINGS FROM THE LOWER PECOS REGION,TEXAS*

The presumption that lipids were used as binders/vehicles in pictograph paints from southwestern Texas was tested using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). A one‐step transesterification/derivatization procedure was used to convert bound and unbound fatty acids to fatty acid methyl esters for the analysis. Approximately 30 organic compounds were detected in the natural rock coating that encapsulates the paints, but there were no compounds unique to the paints. Moreover, the C_16:0 and C_18:0 concentrations in the paint samples were similar to the concentrations of these fatty acids in the rock coating, indicating that the compounds are native to the patina. Thus, lipid binders were either not used in the original paint mixture or have since degraded.     

AN EVALUATION OF ANALYTICAL AND INTERPRETATIVE METHODOLOGIES FOR THE EXTRACTION AND IDENTIFICATION OF LIPIDS ASSOCIATED WITH POTTERY SHERDS FROM THE SITE OF SAGALASSOS,TURKEY*

Three lipid analysis methods were applied to extracts of archaeological potsherds from the ancient city of Sagalassos, south‐west Turkey. In the fatty acid methyl ester fraction, obtained by selective transesterification of acylglycerols, the ratio of methyl palmitate to methyl stearate was determined. Secondly, by means of gas chromatography– combustion–isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC–C–IRMS), stable carbon isotope ratios were measured for the same methyl esters. Finally, triglyceride composition was determined via high‐performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS). All three methods can be used to trace the origin of animal fat. Agreement between them is reasonable, especially in recognizing ruminant adipose fat. One sample was found to be of dairy origin using both GC–C–IRMS and HPLC–MS. The advantages of the various methods are discussed. Variations in lipid composition were observed between samples from different periods and excavated in diverse areas within the city of Sagalassos.     

Characterisation and blind testing of radiocarbon dating of cremated bone

The success of radiocarbon dating of burned or cremated bones depends on the exposed temperature during burning and the degree of re-crystallisation of the inorganic bone matrix. We present a method for characterisation of likely cremated bones by employing visual inspection, infrared spectrometry and carbon stable isotope analysis on the bio-apatite fraction. The method of radiocarbon dating of cremated bones was tested by dating paired samples of bone and associated context materials such as pitch, charcoal and a dendrochronologically dated oak coffin. The dating of these paired test samples were largely performed as blind tests and showed excellent agreement between pitch and bone. The weighted mean age difference of all test samples is observed to −9 ± 60 ¹⁴C yr. To test the indicators and the effects of the degree of burning, a Late-Neolithic human individual has been studied, as this individual exhibits the full spectrum from low temperature burning (charred) to high temperature (“cremated”) from one end of a single bone to the other. This is reflected as a marked step in numerous parameters as well as in a significant difference in ¹⁴C age between the charred and the cremated bone samples.     

Charcoal scarcity in Epigravettian settlements with mammoth bone dwellings: the taphonomic evidence from Mezhyrich (Ukraine)

Fuel management during the Paleolithic periods is an important issue to understand past human subsistence. Numerous Palaeolithic sites relate an abundance of burnt bones in hearths and an absence or scarcity of wood charcoals, which leads studies to focus on burnt bone remains and the use of bones in hearths. Few works take into account the micro-residues of wood charcoals which can still be present in hearth areas and excavated sediments. We studied the Epigravettian site with mammoth bone dwellings of Mezhyrich (Ukraine) previously characterized by its high content of burnt bones and an “absence” of wood charcoal during the so-called mammoth steppe. The presence or absence and proportions of both wood charcoals and burnt bones were quantified in macro-, meso- and microscale sediment size fractions by an image analysis method. Our results show that excavations during field-works at Mezhyrich give only a partial image of the original anthracological record and that most charcoal materials are lost with standard archaeological and anthracological approaches. The scarcity of charcoals in this site was possibly due to an important mass reduction accentuated by the addition of bones in hearths. By applying our protocol we recovered a significant amount of wood charcoals which provides the first ¹⁴C dates from charcoals at Mezhyrich. Numerous charcoals are identified contributing subsequent information about vegetation, environment and burning practices. They indicate, by comparison with pollen data already collected, the presence of forest patches in a mammoth steppe landscape, which might have influenced the collecting behavior of Epigravettian populations.     

Butchering and cooking of birds in the palaeolithic site of Grotta Romanelli (Italy)

Grotta Romanelli is one of the most important sites of the Italian palaeolithic. It contains a lithic industry from the Final Epigravettian, examples of rock and mobiliary art and numerous bone remains, among which were abundant remains of birds. Approximately 32 000 bird bones from over 3650 individuals and 109 species were identified. The most common species were bustards, Otis tetrax and O. tarda, and three species of goose, Anser fabalis, A. albifrons and Branta bernicla. Traces of butchering and burning were evident on numerous bones. The nature and location of the cut marks and burning is described here. The analysis has involved mostly the hind limbs and the shoulder girdle where traces are most numerous. The cut marks reflect a codified sequence of actions of disarticulation and dismemberment. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

LEAD ISOTOPE RATIOS AS A MEANS OF SOURCING ANTHROPOGENIC LEAD IN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOILS: A PILOT STUDY OF AN ABANDONED SHETLAND CROFT*

Results from soil chemical analysis have demonstrated enhanced concentrations of lead (Pb) associated with archaeological sites. However, interpretation of these Pb concentrations is difficult because of the multitude of possible Pb sources. This pilot study of an abandoned croft in Shetland suggests that Pb isotope ratios have the potential to identify sources of anthropogenic Pb. The results highlight two different Pb associations. The first includes hearth, house floor and house overburden soils, with end members of fuel materials and an unidentified material with a low (< 1.126) ²⁰⁶ Pb/ ²⁰⁷ Pb ratio. The second includes byre, kailyard (garden) and arable soils, with end members of hearth materials and local wind‐blown sand.     

GC–MS ANALYSIS AND FATTY ACID RATIOS OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL POTSHERDS FROM THE WESTERN GREAT BASIN OF NORTH AMERICA*

The study of organic residues in archaeological pottery has focused on fatty acids due to their relative stability and longevity. However, even these compounds are subject to degradation, which makes assignment of residues to original foods problematic. This paper suggests that the use of ratios of fatty acids that degrade at roughly the same rate can be useful to identify very general categories of foods. It compares independent information on pot function based on ethnography and engineering/technological studies to that reconstructed based on extracted fatty acid ratios. The results support the notion that Great Basin pots were used primarily to boil seeds and that pot shape and pot function were related.     

Preservation of bird bones: erosion versus digestion by owls

Surface damage to bird bones from pellets of three species of owls (S. aluco, A. otus and B. bubo) was compared with that of bird bones exposed to weathering and soil corrosion (Záskogo Cave in the Western Balkan Mountains, Bulgaria and Ciemna Cave, southern Poland). Scanning electron microscopy and light microscope examinations indicate that the effects of weathering of bird bones (extensive pitting and flaking away on whole bones, holes with sharp edges, depressions with rough bottoms and sharp edges of breakage) are distinguishable from those of digestion (rounding of hole edges on articular ends and sometimes on shafts, rounding of breakage). However, soil corrosion may produce similar rounding to that of digestion, which may hamper taphonomic interpretations of fossil assemblages. Two stages of weathering in bird bone are distinguished. Generally, the kind of damage done to bird bones is similar to that done to mammalian remains. Taphonomic studies of fossil bird remains should take into account a combination of features, including surface damage, fragmentation and possible chemical alterations of bone tissues. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Stone Age exploitation of birds on the island of Gotland,Baltic Sea: a taphonomic study of the avifauna on the Neolithic site of Ajvide

We have conducted a detailed taphonomic study of the avifauna of the Pitted Ware culture site of Ajvide on the Island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea, in order to investigate the fowling patterns and the taphonomic history of the bird remains. We have investigated cultural as well as natural modifications on the bird bones, fragmentation and fracture patterns, and performed a systematic surface modification study. No specific area for the deposition of bird remains or specific bird species was identified. All major anatomical parts of birds are present in the assemblage, but there is a dominance of specimens from the wing elements. Traces of cultural modification were observed on the bones, including cut marks, burning, modification (implements, beads, raw material), and gnawing marks. The bone surface modifications and fracture analysis indicate that the majority of the bird bones at Ajvide did not lie on the soil surface for an extended period of time before being deposited in the soil. Dry fractures increase while fresh fractures decrease towards the upper levels of the stratigraphy, indicating more extensive post‐depositional destruction. This may partly be connected to modern agriculture, but also to later use of the settlement area as a burial ground. The Ajvide assemblage contains a variety of birds living in different biotopes. However, bird hunting was mainly focused on sea birds. Auks and ducks are the most common families in the assemblage. We find it likely that the Ajvide hunters conducted organised hunting expeditions to two nearby islands for the hunting of auks, while it was possible to hunt other birds such as ducks closer to the site. The presence of medullary bone and bones from subadult birds indicates a main hunting season in late spring and early summer. However, comparisons with modern migration patterns indicate that hunting may have occurred throughout the year. Of special palaeozoological interest is the find of gannet (Morus bassanus), which apparently in Neolithic times visited the Baltic area more regularly than today. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fat composition and Nunamiut decision-making: a new look at the marrow and bone grease indices

In his study of marrow procurement, Binford [L.R. Binford, Nunamiut Ethnoarchaeology, Academic Press, New York, 1978] stressed the prevalence of oleic acid, an unsaturated fatty acid, over marrow quantity and processing time for explaining Nunamiut selection of caribou bones. He also stressed the importance of oleic acid in selection of bones for grease rendering. Jones and Metcalfe [K.T. Jones, D. Metcalfe, Bare bones archaeology: bone marrow indices and efficiency, Journal of Archaeological Science 15 (1988) 415–423] and Brink [J.W. Brink, Fat content in leg bones of Bison bison, and applications to archaeology, Journal of Archaeological Science 24 (1997) 259–274] disputed the importance of oleic acid in these activities. This debate is reevaluated in this paper.Reexamination of the relationship between quantity of marrow in caribou bones and skeletal parts selected for marrow procurement reveals two linear clusters instead of one. Two linear clusters are also identified in the relationship between bone grease weight and skeletal parts collected for grease rendering. Bones that are selected more often than expected in these correlations are precisely those that are rich in oleic acid. Although the proportions of skeletal parts selected for marrow procurement are strongly correlated with marrow quantity, a stronger correlation was found with quantity of unsaturated fatty acids. The latter variable constitutes the basis of the Unsaturated Marrow Index, a new scale of marrow utility introduced here.     

Implications of heat-induced changes in bone on the interpretation of funerary behaviour and practice

Bones submitted to heat experience structural and chromatic modifications. In particular, heat-induced bone warping and thumbnail fractures have been linked to the burning of fleshed and green bones – where the soft tissues have been removed from the bones soon after death – in contrast to dry bones. Those have been suggested as indicators of the state of the individual before being burned thus allowing inferences about the funerary behaviour of archaeological populations. A large sample of 61 skeletons submitted to cremation has been examined for the presence of both of these heat-induced features. Although uncommon, bone warping and thumbnail fractures were present in some of the skeletons demonstrating that its presence is not restricted to the burning of non-dried bones as generally believed. Rather than being an indicator of the presence of bones with soft tissues, bone warping seems to be more of an indicator of the preservation of collagen–apatite links which can be maintained on dry bones with low collagen deterioration. In addition, our results also do not confirm thumbnail fractures as an exclusive sign of the burning of bones with soft tissues. As a result, these heat-induced changes should be used with caution when trying to infer about the pre-burning state of an individual.     

RADIOCARBON DATING OF KILL SITES

Age determinations of kill sites, where charcoal is generally absent, has usually depended on radiocarbon analyses of bone material. However, it has been seen with known-age samples that these dates are often in error due to contamination by plant products or ground water carbonates. The use of soil samples from strata both above and below, as well as the level containing the artifacts, offers important advantages. The soil profiles present sequences of dates, whereas the bones are only individual samples. The distribution of the soil date values can indicate upper and lower limits for the age of the kill site. The Taima-taima paleo-indian site in the state of Falcón, Venezuela is presented as an illustration of the application of radiocarbon dating of soil to archaeological problems. A total of 22 samples were processed. It is seen that soils from two profiles indicate a dating of 13 000 years for the kill. Taking into account reasonable extents of error, uncertainties of ± 2000 years can be estimated. The non-carbonate fraction dates are in agreement with the earth samples, but this is probably due to the organic matter extracted from these materials being mostly soil contamination in the porous bone matrix. Fluorine measurements on the bones confirm the Pleistocene origin.     

On stone-boiling technology in the Upper Paleolithic: behavioral implications from an Early Magdalenian hearth in El Mirón Cave,Cantabria, Spain

Stone boiling is one of the principal cooking methods used by hunter-gatherer societies. The present paper proposes behavioral and organizational inferences as to how stone boiling was incorporated into hunter-gatherer subsistence practices through an examination of a shallow-basin hearth in an Early Magdalenian level (c. 15,500 ¹⁴C B.P.) of El Mirón Cave, Cantabria (northern Spain). Exploratory analysis of spatial patterns of archaeological remains (bones, lithic artifacts, and fire-cracked rocks) and use-life analysis of fire-cracked rocks demonstrate that the hearth was used and maintained during visits of humans who preyed mainly on ibex and red deer near the site. The relative accessibility of these ungulates and cost-induced technology of stone boiling suggest the implication that stone boiling was employed to maximize the energy and nutrition obtained from carcasses of these game taxa under the circumstance of resource intensification.     

Prehistoric Butchery and Consumption of Birds in the Kingdom of Tonga,South Pacific

We evaluate the preservational attributes (element frequency, breakage, burning, cut-marks, rodent gnawing, and age) of ca. 500 bird bones from three prehistoric archaeological sites on the Polynesian islands of Foa and Lifuka in the Ha‘apai Group, Kingdom of Tonga. Two of the sites lie in calcareous beach sands whereas the third is the refuse infilling of a well. Although differing in age, all three sites are unequivocally cultural in origin, as evidenced by rich artifact assemblages and various sedimentological features (pits, hearths, etc.) that reflect human activities. The sites also contain bones from a diverse assemblage of marine fish, marine and terrestrial reptiles (sea turtles, iguanas), and terrestrial mammals (fruit bats, rats, pigs, dogs). We find no evidence for deposition of bones (bird or otherwise) in these Tongan sites by non-human agents. This is expected given that we are unaware of any non-human species or geological process that would concentrate the bones of fishes, reptiles, birds, and mammals on a beach ridge or in a well in Tonga. This is especially the case since the species range from very small to very large, and represent marine, fresh water, coastal, and forested habitats. Nevertheless, clear evidence of cultural involvement cannot be discerned on most individual bones, whether bird or non-bird. Furthermore, most taphonomic attributes (element frequency, breakage, burning, and cut-marks) of bones of a domesticated species (the chicken, Gallus gallus) resemble those found on bones of indigenous landbirds. We believe that all bones in any zooarchaeological assemblage should be evaluated carefully to determine who or what was responsible for their deposition. We see no reason, however, why bird bones should be held to some standard higher than those applied to the bones of other taxa, as some have suggested.     

Recognising burnt vein quartz artefacts in archaeological assemblages

The primary aims of this study were to determine how vein quartz behaves in an open wood fire and to suggest how burnt quartz may reliably be distinguished from unburnt quartz. Experimental burning was conducted on 10–50 mm pieces of knapped quartz collected from outcrops and beach cobbles near a later Mesolithic and Neolithic quartz scatter at Belderrig, north County Mayo, Ireland. Burning resulted in considerable fragmentation, with the majority of post-burning fragments <10 mm in size. Compared to experiments with flint, few quartz pieces were expelled from the hearth during burning, probably due to lower water content. Burning reduced the lustre and transparency of quartz and oxidized any iron-bearing rock impurities to a red-brown or pink colour, but these changes could only be diagnostic of burning where unburnt quartz of the same type is available for comparison. Burning did not affect the texture of the quartz, though quartz grain boundaries became more visible in some samples. Under the microscope, all >5 μm fluid inclusions in quartz lost their fluid contents, often with the development of fluid escape structures, and this is likely to be a reliable discriminant between burnt and unburnt vein quartz generally, even in the absence of unburnt material for comparison. Burning also creates microfractures, but this feature does not provide a diagnostic test of burning as there is considerable overlap between burnt and unburnt samples in microfracture density.     

Lead concentrations in bones and soil

Lead concentrations were measured in 41 rib samples from the Romano-British cemetery at Poundbury and in two sets of soil samples from the graves yielding up the bones. The levels of lead in the soil were in no way exceptional (means for the two series were 16·7 and 24·8 μg/g dry weight) and there was no correlation between soil lead and bone lead concentrations.Since bone lead concentrations vary independently of those in the soil, it is unlikely that the bones are contaminated by lead in the soil, at least under the conditions prevailing at this particular site.     

Biological mineral content in Iberian skeletal cremains for control of diagenetic factors employing multivariate statistics

The aim of this study was to define a strategy for a correct selection of bone samples by employing inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) for reconstructing the biological mineral content in bones through the determination of major elements, trace elements and Rare Earth Elements (REE, lanthanides) in skeletal cremains of ancient Iberians (III–II B.C), discovered in the Necropolis of Corral de Saus (Moixent, Valencia) between 1972 and 1979. The biological mineral content was determined taking into account diagenetic factors. A control method for a better reading of results was applied. To explore large geochemical datasets and to reduce the number of variables, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used, thus, providing a deeper insight into the structure of the variance of the dataset. PCA shows that the elemental profiles of bone and soil samples are clearly different. Bone samples obtained from the outer bone layer were shown to have a different elemental composition; more similar to soil samples than samples of the inner bone layer. PCA scores and loadings plots were preferred to dendrograms obtained using Cluster Analysis, due to the limits of the latter one to appreciate the spatial ordering of samples. Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), a frequently used supervised classification method, was applied to differentiate between degradation states of bone samples. PLS-DA results obtained in this study confirmed that changes derived from different burning conditions were associated with transformations in the mineral part of the bones. Accordingly, carbonized bones can be differentiated from cremated bones. Class assignment of bone samples with uncertain thermal conditions in dependence on their elemental composition has shown to be feasible. Consequently, for biochemical-archaeological studies the analysis and statistical classification of carbonized and cremated archaeological bones, as well as those exposed to unknown thermal conditions together with experiments in modern bones, are recommended.     

Middle Pleistocene bird consumption at Level XI of Bolomor Cave (Valencia, Spain)

The consumption of small prey dates back to the Plio-Pleistocene chronologies in some African sites. However, the systematic acquisition and consumption of small prey in the pre-Upper Palaeolithic times is still a highly debated topic in Europe. Although the utilization of leporids has been recorded in several pre-Late Pleistocene European sites, the evidence of bird consumption is not as common for these periods. Nevertheless, Level XI (MIS 6) of Bolomor Cave has clear diagnostic elements to document the acquisition and use of birds (Aythya sp.) for food in the form of: (1) cutmarks on bones of both the front and hind limb; (2) presence of burning patterns on the extremities of the bones (areas of the skeleton with less meat); and (3) human toothmarks on limb bones. The capture of birds is classified as quick-flying game in the archaeological sites. The acquiring of fast-running (mostly lagomorphs) and quick-flying small prey requires a sophisticated technology and involves obtaining and processing ways different from those used for large- and medium-sized animals. From this perspective, the aim of this paper is to examine possible patterns in the processing sequence of birds from Level XI of Bolomor Cave and to improve the data on their butchery and human consumption in the Middle Pleistocene of Iberian Peninsula.     

Neolithic cod (Gadus morhua) and herring (Clupea harengus) fisheries in the Baltic Sea,in the light of fine-mesh sieving: a comparative study of subfossil fishbone from the late Stone Age sites at Ajvide,Gotland, Sweden and Jettböle, Åland,Finland

Abstract

During the Late Stone Age, the sites of Ajvide and Jettböle were located on the seashore but in quite different marine environments. Ajvide on Gotland had direct access to the open sea of the central Baltic, while Jettböle in the Åland archipelago was surrounded by islands and skerries in the northern part of the Baltic Sea. Continuous excavations at Ajvide revealed large amounts of Cod (Gadus morhua) while herring (Clupea harengus) was found in small numbers. At Jettböle, as well, cod bones have been observed in large numbers while the skeletal remains of herring were few. In this study, soil samples of fishbone materials from Ajvide and Jettböle were sieved through screens of different mesh-sizes and then osteologically analysed. The finer screens aided the recovery of small herring bones that usually are lost when sieving through a common standard mesh-size of 4 mm. The results of the study confirmed the importance of fine-mesh sieving for the retrieval of the fishbone materials. Additionally, the achieved osteometric data indicated a difference in cod and herring size between the sites. Other factors that form our base for the understanding of Neolithic fishing strategies are: a general knowledge of the behaviour of the retrieved fish species, a reconstruction of the ancient marine environment and the abundance of fish species at each site.     

A COMPARISON OF METHODS FOR ESTABLISHING FATTY ACID CONCENTRATION GRADIENTS ACROSS POTSHERDS: A CASE STUDY USING LATE BRONZE AGE CANAANITE AMPHORAE*

Canaanite amphorae fragments in fabrics believed to be associated with the bulk transport of vegetable oils from the fourteenth‐century BC site of Amarna, Egypt, have been examined. A comparison is made between solvent extraction, saponification and the use of TMTFTH (m‐trifluoromethylphenyl)trimethylammomum hydroxide, used here for the combined extraction and derivatization of ceramic‐absorbed organic residues. Extracts were studied using gas chromatography and gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry. The extraction of fatty acids from small ceramic samples has established concentration gradients of absorbed organic matter from the inner to the outer surfaces of the sherds.