Research Training ProgramSmithsonian
Institution
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| Colleen McLinn Eckerd College St. Petersburg, Florida Melinda Zeder, Ph.D. Supervising Scientist Department of Anthropology "Bones can tell you a lot, if you ask the right questions." |
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Use of the Astragalus Bone for Species and Sex Identification in Ancient Goat Populations: Implications for the Study of Animal Domestication
ABSTRACT
Many zooarchaeological studies focus on the origins of animal domestication in the Near East. This was the earliest site of the Neolithic revolution from a hunting and gathering to an agricultural lifestyle. However, there is currently a methodological debate surrounding the issue of the best markers for animal domestication. Many researchers focus on the morphology of the animal bones, to look for indications such as apparent size reduction due to various reasons (earlier weaning, increased disease, or reduced nutritional status of pregnant females). However, other researchers feel that size reduction will not necessarily occur right away with domestication, and the demography of the herd can serve as the first indicator of a change in culling patterns from hunting to herding. In order to develop herd profiles, it is necessary to know which bones give an accurate representation of species and sex composition. In this study use was made of the astragalus, a hardy hind limb bone which was thought to help decrease problems with recovery that have been suspected for long bones. The archaeological material came from three sites in the Fertile Crescent: the 35,000 B.P. Pleistocene site of Yafteh Cave, the 8,900 B.P. Ganj Dareh site, and the 7,900 B.P. Ali Kosh site. The bones were identified to species level on the basis of four morphological characteristics, then measured in six dimensions using digital calipers. The data were then examined statistically and graphically. It was found that the percentage of identifiable bones was relatively good when using the astragalus, and the sheep/goat ratios were comparable to other studies. Sexual dimorphism was most easily seen in breadth measurements, but not as clear as had been expected. However, the percentage of males was greatly improved over previous low findings, while the female distribution was similar, indicating the astragalus does have better recovery than long bones. These findings raised interesting questions such as whether the goats at Ganj Dareh were still breeding with wild ones, and why male goats are poorly represented. Further studies addressing these questions might help develop a picture of the beginnings of domestication in the Near East.
This research was supported by a Biology grant from the National Science Foundation, Research Experiences for Undergraduates, Award # DBI-9531331.