Whose Bones are those? Preliminary Comparative Analysis of Fragmented Human and Animal Bones in the "Death Pit" at Domuztepe, a Late Neolithic Settlement in Southeastern Turkey

Dados Bibliográficos

ID4657068
AutoresSarah Whitcher Kansa (0000-0001-7920-5321, Alexandria Archive Institute), Suellen C Gauld (Santa Monica College), Stuart Campbell (0000-0001-7733-6176, University of Manchester), Elizabeth Carter (0000-0002-4920-0973, University of California, Los Angeles)
Ano2009
Volume44
Fascículo1
Páginas159-172
Data de publicação2009-07-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoAnthropozoologica (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0761-3032 • E-ISSN: 2107-0881
EditoraMuseum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.5252/az2009n1a7
OpenAlexW2032948232
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas18
Referências citadas24

Kansa S.W., Gauld S.C., Campbell S. & Carter E. 2009. — Whose Bones are those? Preliminary Comparative Analysis of Fragmented Human and Animal Bones in the "Death Pit" at Domuztepe, a Late Neolithic Settlement in Southeastern Turkey. Anthropozoologica 44(1): 159-172.A unique feature at the mid-6th millennium BCE settlement at Domuztepe, Turkey, is a large pit filled predominantly with fragmented human and animal bones. Previous studies have established that the "Death Pit" animal bone assemblage is characterized by specific features not found in the daily refuse from the rest of the site. The present study seeks further understanding of the Death Pit through a preliminary comparison of the animal and human bone assemblages, including element preservation, degree of fragmentation and breakage patterns. Spatial models of animal and human bones in the Death Pit provide insight into depositional sequencing and the nature of the probable feasting activities that produced this assemblage. Our initial osteological results show that the near identical processing of humans and animals suggests of cannibalism. However, a lower occurrence of fragmentation on human skulls, together with depositional differences between animals and humans, also suggests that conceptual differences between human and animal were maintained

Archaeology · Assemblage (archaeology · Biology · Cannibalism · Fragmentation (computing · Geography · Human bone · Osteology · Predation · Taphonomy · Zooarchaeology · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology · Ecology