Bone Marrow and Bone Grease Exploitation at the Mitchell Prehistoric Indian Village: Human Cultural Adaptive Strategies on the Northern Plains Landon P. Karr University of Exeter

The Mitchell Prehistoric Indian Village

The Middle Missouri Region Map depicts the Mitchell site in relation to hundreds of other Middle Missouri Tradition sites over an area of more than 200,000 square miles Mitchell Adapted from Johnson 2007

The Initial Middle Missouri Complex The Initial Middle Missouri is a cultural complex defined by sedentary, earthlodge dwelling farmer/hunter villagers largely reliant upon maize cultivation and bison procurement. The Initial Middle Missouri is largely confined to North and South Dakota with minor outgrowths in adjacent states. From Lehmer 1971

The Mitchell Prehistoric Indian Village

The Thomsen Center Archeodome

The Mitchell Prehistoric Indian Village

Fragmented Bone Deposits

Bone Marrow and Bone Grease Extraction Process Death of Animal Bone Fracturing (allows access, increased surface area) Cleaned Bones (remove periosteum) Scraping, Boiling (separate fat from bone) Collection Use, Preservation

Methodology 1) Identifying three (3) collections of fragmented bone material from distinct temporal contexts: Early, Middle, and Late Early Context: –Unit 9, Layer 19. Avg cmbs Middle Context: –Unit 9, Layer 10. Avg 64.8 cmbs Late Context: –N1302 E204, Layer 2, Level 2. Avg cmbs

Methodology 2) Separating Bone by Element Type Diaphyseal Shaft Appendicular Cancellous Axial Cancellous Miscellaneous Cancellous Ribs, Jaws, and Verterbral Spines (low fat quality and low fat:effort yield) Whole and Partial Bones (Complete Epiphyses) Other bones (birds, rodents, cranial fragments, etc)

Methodology 3) Sorting elemental types by size (0-19mm, 20-29mm, 30-39mm… 90-99mm, 100mm+

Methodology 4) Weighing bone sorted by elemental type and size.

Methodology 5) Diaphyseal fragments assigned ‘Freshness Fracture Index Scores’--a score assigned on a scale from 0-6 that takes into account three critical factors in determining freshness of breakage: 1) helical fracture pattern, 2) angle of fracture to the cortical surface, and 3) smoothness of fractured surface. 6) Fragments examined for evidence of gnawing, cutmarks, dynamic impact scars, rebound scars, etc. Very little evidence of gnawing is evident on the bone material, while cutmarks and impact scars are common.

Real Weight by Size Class Early Middle Late

Relative Element Weight by Size Class Early Middle Late

State of Bone When Fractured

Freshness Fracture Index Scores Early: 1.59 Middle: 1.52 Late: 1.51

Implications The presence of intensive bone fat exploitation activity suggests significant research potential for the artifactual collections from Middle Missouri region and the several hundred village sites that it encompasses. Bone marrow and bone grease exploitation was an evolving cultural activity in the Lower James River valley during the Initial Middle Missouri period (approximately years before present). Regional intra- and/or intercultural trade networks and subsistence stresses may explain the importance of bone marrow and bone grease exploitation at the Mitchell site.

Conclusions A practice documented ethnographically in the 17th-19th centuries is confirmed by the archaeological record of the 11th century. Extensive evidence for bone marrow and bone grease exploitation and lack of taphonomic evidence rules out taphonomic agencies as possible explanations for vast fragmented bone deposits. Bone marrow extraction at the Mitchell Village site is demonstrated consistently throughout the occupation of the site. Bone grease exploitation is shown to have increased dramatically over the course of the cultural occupation of the Mitchell site. Nearly no such activity was taking place at the beginning of the occupation of the site, while by the end of the occupation. nearly all bone fats were being intensively exploited.

Thank you! Landon P. Karr University of Exeter