A taphonomic study of seal remains from archaeological sites on the Western Cape coast

Simple item page
dc.contributor.advisorParkington, Johnen_ZA
dc.contributor.advisorSmith, Andrewen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorWoodborne, Stephan Marken_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2014-11-10T08:57:41Z
dc.date.available2014-11-10T08:57:41Z
dc.date.issued1996en_ZA
dc.descriptionBibliography: leaves 238-259.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractA 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.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationWoodborne, S. M. (1996). <i>A taphonomic study of seal remains from archaeological sites on the Western Cape coast</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Archaeology. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9482en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationWoodborne, Stephan Mark. <i>"A taphonomic study of seal remains from archaeological sites on the Western Cape coast."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Archaeology, 1996. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9482en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationWoodborne, S. 1996. A taphonomic study of seal remains from archaeological sites on the Western Cape coast. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Woodborne, Stephan Mark AB - 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. DA - 1996 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 1996 T1 - A taphonomic study of seal remains from archaeological sites on the Western Cape coast TI - A taphonomic study of seal remains from archaeological sites on the Western Cape coast UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9482 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/9482
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationWoodborne SM. A taphonomic study of seal remains from archaeological sites on the Western Cape coast. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Archaeology, 1996 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9482en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Archaeologyen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Scienceen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherArchaeologyen_ZA
dc.titleA taphonomic study of seal remains from archaeological sites on the Western Cape coasten_ZA
dc.typeDoctoral Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelDoctoral
dc.type.qualificationnamePhDen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
thesis_sci_1996_woodborne_s.pdf
Size:
5.04 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Download
Collections
PhD / Doctoral