Early human adaptation in the northern hemisphere and the analytic implications of taphonomy

A comparative analysis is presented of faunal remains from six archaeological and six palaeontological open-air sites dating to the Lower and Middle Pleistocene. The presumed causal association between lithic tools and faunal remains at these early sites is evaluated, as is the presumed primary or nearly undisturbed context of these deposits. As well, a methodological approach incorporating multiple lines of evidence considers cultural causality and primary context through a comparison with the palaeontological material, while assessing taphonomic disturbance of the archaeological assemblages. The faunal remains from the archaeological sites in this study exhibit no substantive characteristics to distinguish them from the palaeontological test assemblages. The archaeological collections resemble secondary deposits in which material has undergone extensive, probably repeated, destruction and transport. Various analytical procedures relevant to taphonomic as.sessment are applied to the faunal assemblages to show that bone breakage morphology and skeletal element representation testify to carnivore destruction and other physical and chemical forces, as well as to hydraulic winnowing of elements by their density. The exception is the archaeological site of Salzgitter-Lebenstedt where faunal elements are well preserved and retain striations resembling tool-made cutmarks. The lack of reliable evidence in these ancient faunal assemblages for cultural causality stimulates a re-examination of adaptive models which emphasi7e a hunting way of life for the Lower and Middle Pleistocene. This research has implications for explanations of early human survival which do not consider the participation of all age and sex groups in the adaptive process, the importance of gathered foods, aquatic resources, and small game in modelling the social and technological means of survival. The research results call for alternative reconstructions of early human adaptation which take account of the variability apparent in the ethnographic record as well as engendered approaches to interpretation.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

Doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

University of Cambridge

Year dc:date.issued

1994

Author dc:creator

• Stopp, Marianne P.

Licence

• https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/bitstreams/348655de-71d7-4bc1-bc86-fdf93bd44b56/download
• https://www.rioxx.net/licenses/all-rights-reserved/

Language dc:language

eng

DOI dc:identifier.doi

https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.19774

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.repository.cam.ac.uk:1810/272765