Bison breeding characteristics and interpretation of archaeological seasonality revisited

• Published in: International journal of osteoarchaeology Vol. 16; no. 6; pp. 481 - 492
• Main Author: Walde, D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01.11.2006; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Animal reproduction; Archaeology; bison ontogeny; bison reproduction; Buffalo; North American Plains; Ontology; Seasons; site seasonality; Great Plains
• ISSN: 1047-482X; 1099-1212
• DOI: 10.1002/oa.852

Bison breeding behaviour has been used for the last three decades as the basis for developing methods for assigning season‐of‐occupation estimates to archaeological sites on the North American Plains. These methods are based upon the supposition that the North American bison breeding season is extremely short and that genetically controlled ontological characteristics such as foetal growth and tooth eruption sequences can therefore be used to infer site seasonality in a reasonably straightforward and precise manner. This paper reviews bison population studies conducted during the past 30 years to reassess present understandings of the length of North American bison breeding seasons. It is concluded that the bison breeding season regularly extends over a period of three to four months, and that initiation of ontological development will therefore also vary over the same period of time. Bison development characteristics cannot provide a reliable or precise means of assigning seasonality to archaeological sites on the North American Plains. It is suggested that methods using physical characteristics such as dental cementum incrementation which are directly affected by seasonal changes could be more productive. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.