Podium: Cultivated fire in the Early Paleolithic: evidence of small mammal incidental burning at Cueva Negra del Estrecho del Rio Quipar (Caravaca, Murcia, Spain). (ICAZ 2014)
Descripción
Cultivated Fire in the Early Palaeolithic: Evidence of small mammal incidental burning at Cueva Negra del Estrecho del Rio Quípar Rhodes, S.E.1, López-Jiménez, A.2, López-Martinez, M.3, Haber-Uriarte, M.4, Walker, M.J.2 1 Department
of Anthropology, University of Toronto St. George, 4Departmento de Zoologia y Antropologia Fisica, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain, 3Murcia, Spain, 4Departmento de Prehistoria, Arquelogia, Historia Antigua e Historia Medieval, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
Cultivated Fire in the Early Paleolithic
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The environment of and evidence for prehistoric fire
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Micromammals: another line of evidence?
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Case study site
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Methods
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Results
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Discussion and future research
Environment of Prehistoric Fire
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Advent of human pyrotechnology ■ ■ ■
James et al., 1989 Roebroeks & Villa, 2011 Sandgathe et al., 2011
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Habitual vs. Opportunistic
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Natural vs. Anthropogenic
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Shipman, Foster & Schoeninger (1984) ■ ■ ■ ■
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Colour Microscopic morphology Crystalline structure Shrinkage
David (1990) ■
Dry vs. green/fresh bone burning
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Intensity of burning and duration
Evidence for Prehistoric Fire
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Swartkrans, South Africa
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Koobi Fora, Kenya
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Cave of Hearths, Makapansgat, South Africa
Zhoukoudian Cave, China
Zhoukoudian Cave thin section (unmodified from Weiner et al, 1998)
Evidence for Prehistoric Fire
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Beeches Pit, Suffolk England ~400kya Schöningen, Germany ~400kya Gesher Benot Ya’akov ~790kya European Middle Paleolithic
Preech et al., 2006 unmodified
Micromammals
Micromammals: another line of evidence? Oak-fire coals, < 10 min
Grassfire , > 65oC, < 6 min.
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2.5% microfauna burnt at Zhoukudian cave
13% micromammal teeth 9.2% amphibian bone charred or calcined at Beeches Pit
Heat Source Campfire
Yellow-red
Brownblack
Cremation
Charred (blue-black)
White
Colour Calcined (white-grey)
Only in association with other lines of evidence 0 oC
200oC
400oC
600oC
800oC
1000oC
Modified from Lyman, 1994
Case Study – Cueva Negra
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Cueva Negra del Estrecho del Rio Quípar
Case Study – Cueva Negra
Methods - Research Questions
Anthropogenic Fire ■
Can small mammal bones indicate anthropogenic fire use? ■
Discolouration
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Spatial distribution
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Hypothesis ■
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The Ash feature at Cueva Negra contains a significantly higher proportion of heavily burnt small mammal bones than elsewhere in component 3.2 due to exposure to anthropogenic fire Heavily burnt = charred or calcined
Five categories of burning recognized on small mammal remains from Wonderwerk Cave (image courtesy of Fernandez-Jalvo)
Methods - Research Questions
Agent of Accumulation ■
Was the Cueva Negra assemblage accumulated by humans? ■ ■
Digestive corrosion Skeletal element representation
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Hypothesis ■
Non-human predators are responsible for the small mammal accumulation at Cueva Negra
Micromammal remains from the GRM 5 burial stomach area (left) and pelvic area (right) with arrows indicating corrosion (Dewar & Jerardino, 2007)
Methods – Sample Selection
Table 1.0: Subsamples and associated excavation spits Subsample Above Ash layer Ash layer Below Ash layer
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Unit C2a 5A – 5G(5I) 6A – 6B 6C
Unit C2d
Unit C2g
5A – 5F 5G – 6B 6C – 6E
5A – 5F 5G – 6A
Total depth 30 cm 10 cm 15 cm
2291 specimens identified to Mammalian Class and anatomically ■ Birds, reptiles and amphibians excluded Documented all present taphonomic modifications Digestive corrosion and skeletal representation recorded following Andrews (1990) and Fernandez-Jalvo (1996) SEM-EDS to differentiate burning and oxidestaining (ESEM QUANTA200) Pearson’s Chi square (x2)
Methods – Modification Identification
Burning Categories: ■
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Cat. 0: No discolouration Cat. 1: yellowish with reddish-brown spots; ■ (≤ 100oC – 300oC) Cat. 2: dark brown to black colouration; ■ (≤ 400oC – 550oC) Cat. 3: charred bone - dark black or blue colouration over 50% - 100% of the surface ■ (500oC - ≤ 600oC)
Oxide-staining Categories: ■
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Cat. 4: grey-white colouration; partial calcination ■ (≥600oC) ■
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Cat. 5: calcined bone – white colouration over 50% – 100% of the surface ■ (≥600oC)
Cat. 0: No discolouration Cat. 1 - Light yellow with dark dendritic spots ■ >10% of the bone surface Cat. 2 - Light yellow with dendritic spots ■ 10% - 50% of the bone surface Cat. 3 - Light yellow to dark red with dark brown – black ■ 50% - 90% of the bone surface ■ dendritic shape may or may not be recognizable Cat. 4 - Light yellow to dark red with dark brown – black ■ over 90% of the bone surface
Results - Quantification Table 4.0: Small mammal bones from Cueva Negra measured as minimum number of elements (MNE) and relative proportions (%) Above Ash Skeletal Element Crania Mandible Maxilla Scapula Humerus Ulna Radius Rib Vertebrae Pelvis Femur Tibia Patella Metapodia Phalanx Astragalus Calcaneus Incisor Molar Total of small mammals MNI of small mammals Unidentified Amphibian Bird Fish Reptile Snake Tortoise Total
MNE
%
1 18 4 10 32 12 24 13 273 23 45 24 6 108 248 6 27 67 122 1,140
Ash layer MNE
4.3% 39.1% 8.7% 21.7% 69.6% 26.1% 52.2% 2.4% 33.0% 50.0% 97.8% 52.2% 13.0% 23.5% 19.3% 13.0% 58.7% 72.8% 44.2%
%
1 17 2 16 29 5 14 8 333 23 32 26 7 92 207 7 7 35 107
Below Ash MNE
6.3% 53.1% 6.3% 50.0% 90.6% 15.6% 43.8% 2.1% 57.8% 71.9% 100.0% 81.3% 21.9% 28.8% 23.1% 21.9% 21.9% 54.7% 55.7%
All Layers
%
0 1 0 0 5 0 0 1 18 1 4 1 0 14 36 2 7 18 32
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Total MNE 0.0% 10.0% 0.0% 0.0% 50.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.8% 10.0% 10.0% 40.0% 10.0% 0.0% 14.0% 12.9% 20.0% 70.0% 90.0% 53.3%
2 36 6 26 66 17 38 22 624 47 81 51 13 214 491 15 41 120 261
1,010
141
2,291
23
16
5
44
771 15 127 1 0 0
1,008 23 137 0 13 1
0 0 0 0 2 0
1,779 38 264 1 15 1
14
7
0
21
2,068
2,199
143
4,410
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Large overall sample size in Ash layer ■ increased fragility? Crania and axial elements underrepresented High fragmentation of mandibles ■ high numbers of isolated teeth High numbers of post-crania ■ Femora and humeri
Table 4.1: Modification comparative indices (following Andrews, 1990) Above ash layer 152.0%
Ash Layer 134.6%
Below ash layer 48.5%
Femur + humerus/mandible + maxilla
350.0%
321.0%
900.0%
Tibia + radius/femur+humerus
62.3%
65.6%
11.1%
Index Postcrania/crania
Results - Accumulator
Skeletal Breakage ■
Lack of crania
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Low number of palates/mandibles
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Lack of in situ dentition
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High number of isolated dentition
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Few complete post-crania (NSP = 6)
Results - Accumulator
Digestive Corrosion ■
Moderate to heavy post-crania corrosion ■
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37.7% prox. Femora and distal humeri
Light incisor and molar digestion ■
Surface digestion of incisors
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High % of molars modified
Conclusion ■
Non-human mammalian predator or highly destructive owl ■
e.g. Little Owl or Fox
Results – Oxide-staining
Burning SEM - EDS:
Oxide-staining SEM-EDS
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Visual identification
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Visual identification
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Lack of topography
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Lack of topography
Minimal manganese staining
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Moderate iron staining
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Neither follow pattern of discolouration
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Moderate manganese staining Moderate iron staining Both follow pattern of discolouration
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
Thermal modification visually identifiable
Oxide-staining visually identifiable Distinct depositional process
Results - Burning Spatial patterning: ■
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38.3% of Above sample burnt ■
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