No longer just a pretty picture: Differentiating between experimental bone surface modifications using 3D morphometric analysis

OTAROLA-CASTILLO, E.; JAMES, E.; THOMPSON, J.; HARRIS, J.; MASSIGOGE, A.

Honolulu

Congreso; Society for American Archaeology 78th Annual Meeting; 2013

Society for American Archaeology

Studies of bone-surface marks are crucial to our understanding of the evolution of human subsistence behavior. Over the last several decades, however, identification of bone surface modifications has remained contentious. One historical problem is the lack of consensus over how to identify or differentiate markers from human and non-human actors and effectors. Most investigations rely on surface morphology to identify cutmarks and their patterning, discriminate these from non-human-behavioral processes, and identify the objects or agents responsible for making the marks. These range from subjective characterization of cutmark morphology by the naked eye to the use of high-powered microscopy such as Scanning Electron Microscopes (SEM). These approaches, however, are difficult to replicate, quantify, and compare. 3D geometric morphometrics (GM), under the procrustes paradigm, has demonstrated its ability to discriminate between marks caused by human and non-human effector/actor combinations, while providing quantitative morphological measurements and description. Here we apply 3D GM to quantitatively differentiate the morphology of marks within a large dataset collected from a wide range of experiments. These include: human and ungulate trampling experiments, crocodile and hyena-ravaged bone assemblages, and butchery cut and percussed bone assemblages.