Taphonomic analysis of the Twilight Beach seals

Taphonomic studies have become an integral part of zooarchaeological research over the past 30 years. Understanding the processes that led to the samples of animal remains found in archaeological sites is crucial for evaluating the validity of interpretations of these datasets (Klein and Cruz-Uribe...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inIslands of Inquiry p. 475
Main Authors Lisa Nagaoka, Steve Wolverton, Ben Fullerton
Format Book Chapter
LanguageEnglish
Published Australia ANU E Press 30.06.2008
ANU Press
Subjects
Anatomy
Animals
Archaeological science
Archaeology
Biological sciences
Biological taxonomies
Biology
Body tissues
Bone density
Bones
Carnivores
Connective tissues
Ecological processes
Ecology
Ecosystem dynamics
Environmental archaeology
Fauna
Heterotrophs
History
History of Antarctica
Long bones
Mammals
Marine mammals
Paleobiology
Paleontology
Regional histories
Seals
Social sciences
Taphonomy
Trophic dynamics
Trophic levels
Zooarchaeology
Zoology
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Summary:Taphonomic studies have become an integral part of zooarchaeological research over the past 30 years. Understanding the processes that led to the samples of animal remains found in archaeological sites is crucial for evaluating the validity of interpretations of these datasets (Klein and Cruz-Uribe 1984; Lyman 1994a). It is important to recognise that taphonomic analysis, ‘as the science of the laws of embedding or burial’ (Lyman 1994a:1), is not done for its own sake, but to solve problems in zooarchaeological research (e.g. Gifford-Gonzalez 1991; Lyman 1994a; Stiner 2005). The purpose of this paper is to highlight the importance of taphonomic
ISBN:1921313897
9781921313899