Forager and food producer interrelationships in the zooarchaeological record: Lessons from Central Africa

Abstract

Faunal taxonomic abundances and composition are often used as one line of evidence to measure different dimensions of prehistoric population interaction between food producers and foragers. This paper presents a comparative analysis of ethnoarchaeological faunas created by neighboring foragers and farmers in Central Africa who maintain on-going interactions based partly on the exchange of wild resources for domesticated plant products. Analysis of these assemblages is centered on whether faunal characteristics can be used to: 1) distinguish assemblages produced by neighboring forager and food producer populations; 2) identify interaction between these populations and; 3) reflect information about the nature of these interactions. In this sample, measures of bone abundances, taxonomic richness and the presence of rare species can distinguish food producer from forager-created assemblages. High levels of compositional similarity and exploitation intensity associated with forager and farmer assemblages indicate consistent economic activity focused on dominant marketable animals. Differences in richness, bone abundances and, especially, skeletal part representation of common marketable prey reflect economic interactions marked by socioeconomic disparities. These results provide an important guide to the use of ethnoarchaeological data in identifying prehistoric population interactions in the zooarchaeological record defined by sustained exchange and/or market activity and where socioeconomic disparities persisted.