Taphonomic Effects of a Grassland Fire on a Modern Faunal Sample and its Implications for the Archaeological Record

ÁLVAREZ, MARÍA C.; MASSIGOGE, AGUSTINA; SCHEIFLER, NAHUEL; GONZALEZ MARIELA E.; KAUFMANN, CRISTIAN; GUTIERREZ, MARÍA; RAFUSE, DANIEL

Journal of Taphonomy

PROMETHEUS PRESS /PALAEONTOLOGICAL NETWORK FOUNDATION

Año: 2017 vol. 15

1696-0815

The main objective of this paper is to characterize the pattern of thermal alteration in a sample of modern bones collected after a natural grassland fire in the Pampas region (Argentina). A total of 917 bone remains were recovered, including a variety of different body size taxa. Results suggest that natural grassland fires affect bone remains in a more severe way than previously documented. In general, a high proportion of bones with thermal alteration (70%) was recorded for the different body size categories, with calcined bones dominating the sample. Some differences in relation to the size classes were found; specifically, a higher extension of burning was recorded for the smaller-sized taxa. For the small animals, the homogeneous distribution of the burning damage in long bones and mandibles could help to differentiate a natural grassland fire from cooking, in which the burning pattern would be more heterogeneous.