International Journal of Osteoarchaeology最新文献

Pujol Arbona, M., Umbelino, C., and Coutinho-Nogueira, D. 2024. “ Morphological Study of the Bony Labyrinth of the Last Hunter-Gatherers in Portugal: Insights From the Moita do Sebastião Shell Midden.” International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, 34 no. 6: e3356. https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.3356.

FIGURE 5. Principal component analysis (PCA) including all the hunter-gatherer individuals from our sample (MS, Moita do Sebastião; LV, Lagar Velho; AP, Abri Pataud; CM, Cro Magnon; LB, Laugerie Basse; Mui, Muierii; Cio, Cioclovina; I, Ishango; HELM, Hofmeyer ELM; NK, Nazlet Khater; Q, Qafzeh; Sk, Skhūl; LF, La Ferrassie; PP, Petit Puymoyen; PdA, Pech de l'Azé; LCaS, La Chapelle-aux-Saints; AsC, Arcy-sur-Cure; LM, Le Moustier; G, Gibraltar; LQ, La Quina). [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]

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Coastal-oriented communities of the Ertebølle culture co-existed in southern Scandinavia 6000–7000 years ago in relative proximity to farming communities. Despite many years of research, it is still unclear what role individual domestic animals played in this context, mainly due to a lack of dating and identification issues. This paper presents new details of the transformation processes throughout the neolithization of southern Scandinavia and northernmost Central Europe at a taxonomic level by a refined evaluation and dating of the introduction of domesticated sheep and goats. Unlike cattle and pigs, no wild relatives of ovicaprids live in the region studied, so any verified finding must come from an animal with domesticated ancestors, if not from a domesticated specimen itself. Our study shows that the oldest remains of goat and sheep in the area are up to 300 years older than the actual transformation phase, which leads after the immigration of farmers around 4000 cal. bc to a change in the economic system until 3700 cal. bc. The rarity of ovicaprid remains at Ertebølle sites shows that the animals were of no economic importance. We discuss their possible role in neighborly relations as exotic gifts, but also point out that they may, at least partially, be the remains of feral domestic animals captured during hunting.

Birds have played both subsistence and symbolic roles in past human societies, with their significance evolving alongside sedentary lifestyles and agriculture. Although Neolithic settlements in Western Asia primarily relied on domesticated mammals, birds remained a marginal resource, their importance varying by region. This study investigates bird remains from Bronze Age Alalakh (Tell Atchana) to understand their role in an urbanizing society across shifting political and environmental conditions in the Amuq Valley. Avian remains recovered from Tell Atchana (2007–2012) were analyzed using zooarchaeological methods, including taxonomic identification via comparative osteology and further classification through traditional morphometrics. Quantitative analyses assessed skeletal representation, diversity indices, and abundance patterns across excavated time periods and areas. Contextual association with food preparation equipment, cut marks, and skeletal representation provided further insight into human–bird interactions. Results reveal a strong prevalence of waterfowl, comprising over 75% of identified birds, with mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) and teal (Anas crecca) as the most abundant bird species. Diachronic variation is evident across major bird taxa, with peak diversity and abundance observed in the Late Bronze Age I, along with a substantial and increasing frequency of migratory birds. These patterns may correspond with broader hydrological and cultural shifts in the region, as well as greater reliance on wild animal resources at times of political unrest. The emphasis on wing elements, particularly in pigeons and mallards, suggests these birds held specific ritual or symbolic significance. Further study is needed to clarify the multifaceted meanings birds held for Alalakh inhabitants, particularly regarding distinctions between consumption, management, and ritual use. Continued investigation into human–bird interactions at the site will contribute to broader discussions on environmental adaptation and cultural practices in early urban societies.

Increased avian exploitation is a hallmark of broad-spectrum subsistence strategies in the Levantine Natufian culture (15,000–11,700 cal. BP). However, detailed publications of bird remains from the Natufian are scant, especially regarding the Early Natufian, and the available evidence shows high inter-site variability that begs explanation. In this study, we examine the avian remains from the Natufian sequence of el-Wad Terrace, a large hamlet overlooking the Mediterranean coastal plain in Israel, to assess patterns of bird exploitation and their environmental context. Our results show that the majority of bird remains represent human activities, with negligible contributions from nonhuman predators and natural mortality. Waterbirds and game birds attest to butchery and consumption, while many of these taxa, along with some birds of prey, were also exploited for raw materials in bead production and for other cultural purposes. The Early Natufian stages differ little from one another and indicate consistent seasonal harvesting of a highly diverse waterfowl community, while in the Late Natufian, the proportion of game birds and birds of prey increased. This is the first evidence of exploitation of significant freshwater bodies that must have existed at some distance from the site, along the wider coastal plain of the terminal Pleistocene. Comparative analysis of a transect of Natufian sites in the southern Levant, from eastern Jordan to the Mediterranean shore, emphasizes differences in avian resource use between sites directly located on wetlands and sites that were not, indicating that local environmental conditions strongly shaped avian hunting strategies in the Natufian.

In comparison to other species within faunal assemblages, bats (Order: Chiroptera) have been overlooked, especially in Papua New Guinea, resulting in limited traditional archaeozoological methods. The analysis of bats within an archaeological setting in Papua New Guinea will allow for a greater understanding of bat cranial morphology and the impacts that may be occurring throughout time, including anthropogenic or climatic impacts, changes in identified species' morphological compositions, and even identification of extinct species. This is especially important in regions with extensive human–bat interactions across a vast timeframe, such as anthropologically associated bat-dominated faunal assemblages in Papua New Guinea. The study will adapt and apply a traditional archaeozoological methodology to evaluate use on archaeological bat cranial remains present within the case study site of Kiowa, spanning the late Pleistocene to mid-Holocene. Furthermore, implementation of the methodology on a case study site determined whether a morphological change, in association with anthropogenic activities, was identifiable and impacting the cranial remains present across the time periods. The results highlight that the adapted traditional methodology is applicable and able to be implemented on bat cranial remains, producing measurement results for the cranial categories. The results produced through the case study suggest no distinct change in morphological size influenced by anthropogenic activities between the late Pleistocene and mid-Holocene, although sample size and associated issues may have impacted the results. Interestingly, the utilization of this methodology highlighted taphonomic impacts on the cranial elements that were not initially suspected. The results presented in this paper indicate that the newly adapted traditional methodology can be used in archaeozoological assemblages, expanding the limited archaeozoological approach to bats in Papua New Guinea.