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PALEOECOLOGY & BIOARCHAEOLOGY PALEOECOLOGY & BIOARCHAEOLOGY Studying Environment, Human Ecology, & Subsistence Charlotte Cooper, UCSC Anthropology 3 Lecture

Lecture Outline: What is zooarchaeology? What is zooarchaeology? Taphonomy & Actualistic Studies Taphonomy & Actualistic Studies How do bones help us understand past subsistence and paleoenvironments? How do bones help us understand past subsistence and paleoenvironments?

To study diet & paleoecology: Bones, teeth Artifacts Seeds, shells, pollen, etc.

Zooarchaeology Study of animal remains, with archaeological aims Study of animal remains, with archaeological aims Bones, teeth, shells, fish scales Bones, teeth, shells, fish scales Zooarchaeologists train as archaeologists, also study with zoologists, botanists, paleontologists Zooarchaeologists train as archaeologists, also study with zoologists, botanists, paleontologists

Must Consider: Taphonomy Taphos - burial, nomos - law or system Taphos - burial, nomos - law or system Processes affecting remains from death to recovery (excav.) Processes affecting remains from death to recovery (excav.) Term from paleontology Term from paleontology Differential preservation → “biases” Differential preservation → “biases” Postmortem processes “bias” samples, but add info on humans & ecology Postmortem processes “bias” samples, but add info on humans & ecology

Taphonomy & Zooarchaeology  Analyze for traces of modifying agents (taphonomy is part of site formation processes, recall last lecture): human (butchery, tool-making, etc.) human (butchery, tool-making, etc.) non-human (carnivores, weathering etc.) non-human (carnivores, weathering etc.) Aided by actualistic research Aided by actualistic research

Actualistic Research Methodological approach, middle-range theory: Methodological approach, middle-range theory: Create “experiments” on bones to see the resulting modifications of human behaviors or non-human processes Create “experiments” on bones to see the resulting modifications of human behaviors or non-human processes Compare bones from those controlled experiments with what is seen on bone from archaeological sites Compare bones from those controlled experiments with what is seen on bone from archaeological sites Conclude that the probable cause of modifications in both cases may be the same/different Conclude that the probable cause of modifications in both cases may be the same/different

Actualistic Research: Examples Human impacts on bone: Human impacts on bone: Butchery (cutmarks) Butchery (cutmarks) Cooking (burning) Cooking (burning) Making tools from bones (awls) Making tools from bones (awls) Transport of carcasses from hunting site to basecamps (Nunamuit, by Binford) Transport of carcasses from hunting site to basecamps (Nunamuit, by Binford)

Actualistic Research: Example

Now, what can archaeological bones tell us about the past and subsistence?

Before leaping to inferences from faunal specimens, how do we count animals in a site? NISP = Number of Identifiable (to species level) Specimens in a sample NISP = Number of Identifiable (to species level) Specimens in a sample MNI = Minimum Number of Individuals MNI = Minimum Number of Individuals that must have been acquired to get the total of bones in sample that must have been acquired to get the total of bones in sample Example: 16 left jaw bones at a site mean that a minimum of 16 animals contributed left jaws Example: 16 left jaw bones at a site mean that a minimum of 16 animals contributed left jaws

Overview of what we can know: Site use: Site use: Dating via collagen Dating via collagen Seasonality Seasonality Diet: Diet: Species choice Species choice Hunting/transport methods Hunting/transport methods Social context: Social context: Gender, class, ethnicity Gender, class, ethnicity Environment: Environment: Context of sites and changes in environment Context of sites and changes in environment

Site Use: Seasonality Migratory species present seasonally Migratory species present seasonally fish (e.g. salmon), birds (e.g. swallows) fish (e.g. salmon), birds (e.g. swallows) Antler & tooth development Antler & tooth development Age of animal at death, used with known birth season to determine season of harvesting Age of animal at death, used with known birth season to determine season of harvesting Example Olsen-Chubbuck bison kill site Example Olsen-Chubbuck bison kill site Note: seasonality of the site may ≠ total span of site use by humans Note: seasonality of the site may ≠ total span of site use by humans

Diet, Hunting, Transport Species selection Species selection Hunting techniques (technology) Hunting techniques (technology) Domestication of animals, herding Domestication of animals, herding Transport of whole carcass or portions Transport of whole carcass or portions Nutrition in parts of carcass (meat, brains, marrow) Nutrition in parts of carcass (meat, brains, marrow)

Subsistence & Social Relations Various groups in a society may have differing access to animal foods Various groups in a society may have differing access to animal foods age, gender, class age, gender, class Need good contextual relations (separate areas with different animal remains, etc.) Need good contextual relations (separate areas with different animal remains, etc.) Cross-check with human bone isotopes Cross-check with human bone isotopes Examples: Examples: Ethnicity: element selection, butchery techniques, cuisine (including preparation, presentation, disposal of food) Ethnicity: element selection, butchery techniques, cuisine (including preparation, presentation, disposal of food) Jun El Rito (colonial N.M.) Jun El Rito (colonial N.M.) Class: Class: Cahokia Cahokia Peak at AD: City covered six miles, 20,000 residents Peak at AD: City covered six miles, 20,000 residents Agriculture (corn, squash, sunflowers) Agriculture (corn, squash, sunflowers) Divine chief, elite class, commoners Divine chief, elite class, commoners Chief=control food surpluses (stored crops, meat, fish) Chief=control food surpluses (stored crops, meat, fish) How might this look in bones? How might this look in bones?

Paleoenvironments Species’ requirements and biology reflect environment Species’ requirements and biology reflect environment microfauna better than macrofauna (shorter life cycles and not as quick to migrate) microfauna better than macrofauna (shorter life cycles and not as quick to migrate) size/quality of an animal’s population is dependent upon the environment size/quality of an animal’s population is dependent upon the environment Understand human reaction to environmental stochasticity by species available/chosen Understand human reaction to environmental stochasticity by species available/chosen Includes theory of behavioral ecology, optimal foraging Includes theory of behavioral ecology, optimal foraging

Reconstructing Paleoenvironments Example: Moss Landing, CA Example: Moss Landing, CA Northern fur seal paleoecology Northern fur seal paleoecology Value: fatty, large Value: fatty, large How much human hunting would have led to seal extinction? How much human hunting would have led to seal extinction? 10% female seals locally leads to extinction within 100 years. 10% female seals locally leads to extinction within 100 years.

Other Approaches to Diet: Stable Isotope Analysis of Human Bone Fine-grained: reflects individual intake Fine-grained: reflects individual intake Carbon ratios [ 12 C: 13 C]: plant foods Carbon ratios [ 12 C: 13 C]: plant foods Strontium:nitrogen ratios=sea vs land animal foods Strontium:nitrogen ratios=sea vs land animal foods Cemeteries: show gender and class differences in diet in a population Cemeteries: show gender and class differences in diet in a population

To learn more, see next week’s faunal activity in section… 50,000 B.C.—Gak Eisenberg invents the first and last silent mammoth whistle.