A taphonomic study of seal remains from archaeological sites on the Western Cape coast
Doctoral Thesis
1996
Permanent link to this Item
Authors
Journal Title
Link to Journal
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Publisher
University of Cape Town
Department
Faculty
License
Series
Abstract
A method of interpreting the seal body part representation from archaeological sites is presented and applied to three Holocene archaeological assemblages from the west coast of South Africa. The approach that is developed integrates several different methods that have previously been applied to terrestrial species, but that, with few exceptions, have not be.en employed in the analysis of seal remains. Most of the existing taphonomic indices cannot be applied to seals because of their unique physiology. Appropriate field observations and laboratory measurements are used to construct taphonomic indices that can be widely applied to seal bone assemblages. These include: a hardness index that mediates bone destruction through mechanical attrition, a utility index that mediates differential transport of body elements, and two indices that mediate the impact of carnivore ravaging - the carcass consumption sequence, and the carnivore destructive template. A new approach that caters for the simultaneous application of several taphonomic indices to an assemblage, where previously they have been applied individually or in pairs, is developed. In addition to the taphonomic indices, a method of determining ontogenic age is presented, and the potential limits of seal storage are explored.
Description
Bibliography: leaves 238-259.
Keywords
Reference:
Woodborne, S. 1996. A taphonomic study of seal remains from archaeological sites on the Western Cape coast. University of Cape Town.