Intentional or incidental thermal modification? Analysing site occupation via burned bone

dc.contributor.authorAsmussen, Brit
dc.date.accessioned2015-12-08T22:23:02Z
dc.date.available2015-12-08T22:23:02Z
dc.date.issued2009
dc.date.updated2016-02-24T11:40:17Z
dc.description.abstractAlthough there has been extensive experimental research on the thermal modification of bone, the results have rarely been applied to interpret zooarchaeological assemblages. The faunal assemblage from Wanderer's Cave, Australia was analysed to investigate the origins, timing and context in which faunal specimens became burned during the mid-late Holocene occupation of the site. Statistical analyses of uniformity of burning, burning over fracture surfaces and epiphyses, frequency of carbonisation by prey taxa, and thermal modification of canid modified specimens indicate that the majority of faunal specimens were unintentionally modified when on the surface of the deposit or while buried in sediment when fires were lit at subsequent site occupation events. Thermal modification at the site does not reflect intentional cooking activities. Significant preservation biases were identified from the lower acidic levels of the site, preventing knowledge of the early fire history at Wanderer's Cave.
dc.identifier.issn0305-4403
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1885/32701
dc.publisherElsevier
dc.sourceJournal of Archaeological Science
dc.subjectKeywords: bone; fauna; Holocene; preservation; taphonomy; Australasia; Australia; Canidae Australia; Burned bones; Cooking; Differential preservation; Taphonomy
dc.titleIntentional or incidental thermal modification? Analysing site occupation via burned bone
dc.typeJournal article
local.bibliographicCitation.issue2
local.bibliographicCitation.lastpage536
local.bibliographicCitation.startpage528
local.contributor.affiliationAsmussen, Brit, College of Arts and Social Sciences, ANU
local.contributor.authoremailrepository.admin@anu.edu.au
local.contributor.authoruidAsmussen, Brit, u9802137
local.description.notesImported from ARIES
local.identifier.absfor210102 - Archaeological Science
local.identifier.ariespublicationu8304786xPUB94
local.identifier.citationvolume36
local.identifier.doi10.1016/j.jas.2008.10.005
local.identifier.scopusID2-s2.0-57849155331
local.identifier.uidSubmittedByu8304786
local.type.statusPublished Version

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