The primary goal of this project is to create a modern comparative collection of complete large bovid skeletons that record butchery marks made by stone tools. Four different raw materials commonly found in the southern African archaeological record (chert, quartzite, dolerite and hornfels) were selected for flake production. Butchery was conducted on three cows by modern Bushmen subsistence hunters skilled in the processing of animal carcasses. They form part of a relatively isolated group of !Xo-speaking Bushmen resident in the village of Kacgae in the Ghanzi district of western Botswana. The study focuses on characterising the type and conspicuousness of stone-generated butchering marks on bones under low magnification, and documenting patterning including anatomical location, number and orientation. Due to the fact that numerous natural events and human practices modify bones, unequivocal interpretation of bone modifications is sometimes difficult. Further to this, mimics, which are a result of non-human activity, produce the same or qualitatively similar patterns that complicate positive identification of butchery marks made by hominins. Reliable measures are required for interpretation of fossil bone modifications, and controlled actualistic observations provide a direct link between the process of modification (stone tool butchery aimed at complete flesh removal) and the traces produced. A number of taphonomic processes, including bone modification by various animals and geological processes are recorded in comparative collections housed at institutions in the province of Gauteng in the Republic of South Africa. These provide reference material for taphonomists attempting to identify agents responsible for the modification and accumulation of fossil bone assemblages, particularly from early hominin cave sites in the Sterkfontein Valley. However, no reference material exists for hominin modification of bone, and thus motivates for the collection of such traces. The modern comparative collection produced by this study shows butchery marks inflicted exclusively by habitual hunters who are also skilled butchers, and provides a resource for researchers to help accurately identify hominin-produced butchery marks on fossil bones. The accompanying catalogue records the type and conspicuousness, anatomical location and orientation of the butchery marks and provides a controlled sample against which a fossil assemblage can be compared. Results indicate no consistent patterning in the intensity of butchery marking with regard to the type of stone tool material that is utilised. However, a high number of butchery marks per surface area were recorded for most stone tool materials for certain skeletal elements including the mandible, ribs, scapula and humerus. Overall, there are indications that raw material influences butchery marking, however, the small sample size hinders the potential of an identifiable pattern with regard to the type of raw material from which the stone tools responsible for the butchery marks were produced. Furthermore, the vast range of variables that can exist during the butchery process contribute to the equivocal nature of the results. Additional research is required, some of it ongoing, which expands the sample of stone tool butchering, utilises iron tools and investigates ethnographic differences in butchering techniques.

Submitted by Caroline Falcao (caroline.rfalcao@ufpe.br) on 2017-06-08T17:38:11Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 811 bytes, checksum: e39d27027a6cc9cb039ad269a5db8e34 (MD5) 2012-dissertacao-PetriusBelo.pdf.pdf: 20883190 bytes, checksum: 0734db46fd439e33d9a5bb0a64199f0a (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-06-08T17:38:11Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 811 bytes, checksum: e39d27027a6cc9cb039ad269a5db8e34 (MD5) 2012-dissertacao-PetriusBelo.pdf.pdf: 20883190 bytes, checksum: 0734db46fd439e33d9a5bb0a64199f0a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-08-31 / Sítios com interação homem-megafauna no Brasil são raros, bem como no restante da América do Sul. Muitos estudos publicados até hoje têm focalizado e discutido evidências de sítios do extremo sul do continente como, Monte Verde, no Chile e Los Toldos, na Argentina ou do extremo norte, no caso do sítio Taima-Taima, na Venezuela. Um dos mais importantes sítios escavados no Brasil está situado na Área arqueológica do Parque Nacional Serra da Capivara-PI, a “Toca da Janela da Barra do Antonião” –um abrigo sob-rocha com significativo registro da megafauna em associação estratigráfica com artefatos líticos. Vale ressaltar que nele foram encontrados fósseis com determinados padrões de fraturas e marcasde corte. Embora tenha sido escavado entre as décadas de 1980 e 1990 do século passado, alguns de seus resultados ainda são inéditos. Este trabalho objetiva estudar as marcas em ossos da megafauna em uma perspectiva de corroborar ou falsear a interferência humana na história tafonômica desses espécimes. Os fósseis com marcas de corte foram coletados em associação espacial com artefatos líticos, em um depósito cárstico utilizado como abrigo.Os táxons aqui estudados incluem: Eremotheriun, Catonyx, Notiomastodon, Hippidion, c.f Macrauchenia, Paleolama eToxodon–alguns destes apresentam marcas do tipo sulcos com secções em “V” com microestrias internas, localizadas próximas às zonas de articulações; além disso, são registrados padrões de fraturas do tipo espiral e irregular. A metodologia do trabalho consistiu em análise tafonômica em escala microscópica por meio de lupa binocular, microscópio eletrônico de varredura, fotografia digital e software específico, com o intuito de encontrar assinaturas tafonômicasque possam indicar que as marcas encontradas são de natureza antrópica, resultante da atividade de abate destes animais. Em análise preliminar foram identificadas marcas de corte paralelas encontradas em um úmero do gênero Hippidion, escavado no setor A, Nível IV. Estas marcas apresentam coloração e morfologia que indicam uma origem anterior ao processo de fossilização. Este espécime apresenta um padrão de fratura que sugere que ele foi fraturado antes dos processos diagenéticos, enquanto o osso ainda preservava sua elasticidade. A discussão sobre este tipo de vestígio está relacionada à validade das associações estratigráficas entre artefatos e fósseis, ao agente causador das marcas e se, de fato, ocorreu interferência antrópica na formação da assembleia. Sendo assim, com base no estudo tafonômico microscópico dos vestígios encontrados, pode-se afirmar que as alterações nos ossos foram elaboradas por populações pré-históricas que ocuparam este abrigo durante o final do Pleistoceno e início do Holoceno. / Sites with human-megafauna interaction are rare in Brazil and in the rest of South America. Many studies have been published which are focused on sites and discussed evidences of the extreme south of the continent as Monte Verde in Chile and Los Toldos, Argentina or the far north, where Taima-Taima site in Venezuela. One of the most important sites excavated in Brazil is located in the archaeological area of the National Park of Sierra Capybara-IP, "Toca da Janela da Barra do Antonião." –a shelter-in rock with significant record of megafauna in stratigraphic association with lithic artefacts. Besides, there were found fossils with certain patterns of fractures andcut marks. Although it was excavated between the 1980s and 1990s of the last century, some of their results are still unpublished. This paper aims to study the marks on bones of megafauna in order to corroborate or misrepresent human interference in the taphonomic history of these specimens. Fossils with cut marks were collected in spatial association with lithic artifacts in a warehouse karst used as shelter. The taxa studied here include: Eremotheriun, Catonyx, Notiomastodon, Hippidion, cf Macrauchenia, and Palaeolama Toxodon –some of these brands have the type grooves with sections on "V" with microestrias internal, situated near the joint areas; in addition, are recorded patterns of fractures type spiral and irregular. The methodology of the study consisted on taphonomic analysis on a microscopic scale through binocular microscope, scanning electron microscope, digital photography and specific software, in order to find taphonomic signatures which may indicate that the markings are anthropogenic in nature, resulting from the slaughter activity of such animals. In preliminary analysis were identified parallel cut marks found in the genre Hippidion a humerus, dug in sector A, Level IV. These brands have staining and morphology that indicate a prior origin to fossilization process. This specimen exhibits a pattern of fracture which suggests that it was fractured before the diagenetic processes, while the bone still preserved its elasticity. The discussion about this type of trace is related to the validity of stratigraphic associations between artifacts and fossils, the causative agent of brands and if, indeed, have occurred anthropogenic interference in the formation of the assembly. Therefore, based on the study of microscopic taphonomic traces found, it can be stated that the changes in the bones were prepared by prehistoric populations that occupied this shelter during the late Pleistocene and early Holocene.