A Critical Evaluation of Bone Weathering as an Indication of Bone Assemblage Formation

Bibliographic Data

ID20041592
AuthorsGregory L Fox (University of Missouri), Gregory Fox, R L Lyman (0000-0003-2651-7959, University of Missouri)
Year1996
Publication date1996-12-13
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeCHAPTER
VenueForensic Taphonomy (SOURCE_BOOK)
PublisherCRC Press (PUBLISHER • NL)
DOI10.1201/9781439821923.ch15
OpenAlexW3184067625
ISBN9781439821923
LanguageEN
Citations received7
References cited22

Weathering of bones has been defined as chemical and mechanical deterioration and destruction occurring over Time (the periodic system of solar years). Actualistically documented correlations between the years since animal death and weathering stages, and between weathering stages and depositional habitats, lead to hypothesized relationships between prehistoric weathered bones and exposure and accumulation histories of those bones. Detailed review of those hypothesized relationships reveals accumulation and exposure histories are not readily inferred from assemblages of weathered bones. The relationships minimally involve assuming the values of one or more kinds of taphonomic time which can at best be measured at ordinal scales. Simulated accumulation histories and inspection of actualistic data indicate an assemblage of weathered bones may be formed in various ways. Control of skeletal element type and interdependence, taxon, depositional environment, and subsurface weathering are serious analytical challenges seldom fully met, thereby rendering interpretations of weathered bones debatable

Assemblage (archaeology) · Geochemistry · Weathering · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Geology · Paleontology · Paleopathology and ancient diseases · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology

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