| Assemblages of faunal remains generated by hominins are frequently disturbed by scavenging carnivores. Because this disturbance obscures potentially valuable information about past hominin behaviour, researchers have developed techniques to subtract the effects of carnivore feeding at archaeological sites. Many of these techniques are based on patterns of carnivore tooth damage found on bone surfaces. This thesis investigates several sources of variation in these patterns that are often unaccounted for in taphonomic studies. Through a series of controlled feeding experiments with captive wolves and hyaenas, I investigated the effects of several variables on patterns of gnawing damage. Damage was found to vary considerably based on species of carnivore, prey body size, and the presence or absence of prior marrow-extraction. Preliminary data also suggest that patterns of gnawing damage vary between carnivore age classes, different skeletal elements, elements with differing amounts of adhering flesh, and different methods of analysis. Stronger inferences about an assemblage's taphonomic history can be made if these variables are taken into account;Keywords: Carnivore taphonomy, hyaenas, wolves, experimental archaeology, tooth marks, gnawing damage, faunal assemblage formation, zooarchaeology, bone modification. |
