Abstract - Breaking the bones: taphonomic indicators in experimental dynamic fracturation of bovid long bones

Estivemos presentes no I Congresso Internacional de Zooarqueologia em Portugal com alguns dos resultados das experimentações de fracturação de ossos longos de Bos taurus. Deixamos aqui o resumo da comunicação e nos próximos dias iremos apresentar alguns dos novos resultados.

Breaking the bones: taphonomic indicators in experimental dynamic fracturation of bovid long bones

Nelson Almeida123, Sara Cura123, Pedro Cura123 & Palmira Saladié145

nelsonjalmeida@gmail.com

1 GQP-CG, Quaternary and Prehistory Group, Geosciences Centre, Coimbra, Portugal

2 ITM, Instituto Terra e Memória, Mação, Portugal

3 Museu de Arte Pré-Histórica e do Sagrado no Vale do Tejo, Mação, Portugal 

4 IPHES, Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social, Tarragona, Catalunha, Espanha

5 URV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Àrea de Prehistòria, Tarragona, Catalunha, Espanha

Keywords: Dynamic fracturation; Bos taurus; long bones; fracture plane; percussion marks 

A wide variety of international research projects dealing with actualistic studies of bone biomechanics have been produced and disseminated in the last decades. The majority of these papers deal with the problems of differentiation between carnivore and anthropic fracturation, i.e., static and dynamic loading in long bones. Some taphonomic indicators have been showed to allow separation between different accumulation agents in experimental and archaeological assemblages, helping in discussions related to different access to archaeofaunistical remains. The majority of these actualistic works were achieved with unmodified pebbles and Bos taurus fresh bones.

In this communication we present the results of a series of dynamic loading fracturation of Bos taurus long bones. Modified quartzite implements and bones in different conditions or “freshness” indexes were fractured and the resulting fragments analyzed. Although preliminary, the analysis of the fracture planes, longitude and circumference of the diaphysis, as well as other indicators (e.g. fragment measurements, percussion pits plus notches%, impact flakes%), allows the elaboration of some considerations.