期刊
ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCES
卷 13, 期 8, 页码 -出版社
SPRINGER HEIDELBERG
DOI: 10.1007/s12520-021-01365-6
关键词
Carnivore; Bone accumulation; Livestock; Lava tube; Arabian Peninsula; Holocene
资金
- Projekt DEAL
- Max Planck Society
- Leverhulme Trust [RPG-2017-087]
- Saudi Heritage Commission
- Research Council of Norway, through its Centers of Excellence funding scheme, SFF Centre for Early Sapiens Behaviour (SapienCE) [262618]
- King Saud University [RSP-2019/126]
This study analyzed an impressive carnivore-accumulated bone assemblage from a lava tube in Saudi Arabia and identified it as primarily accumulated by striped hyenas. The findings emphasize the importance of neo-taphonomic studies to capture the full variation in carnivore bone-accumulating and modifying behavior, as well as highlight the potential for future research in the area.
Studies of modern carnivore accumulations of bone (i.e., neo-taphonomy) are crucial for interpreting fossil accumulations in the archaeological and paleontological records. Yet, studies in arid regions have been limited in both number and detailed taphonomic data, prohibiting our understanding of carnivore bone-accumulating and -modifying behavior in dry regions. Here, we present a taphonomic analysis of an impressive carnivore-accumulated bone assemblage from the Umm Jirsan lava tube in the Harrat Khaybar region, Saudi Arabia. The size and composition of the bone accumulation, as well as the presence of hyena skeletal remains and coprolites, suggest that the assemblage was primarily accumulated by striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena). Our findings (1) identify potentially useful criteria for distinguishing between accumulations generated by different species of hyenas; (2) emphasize the need for neo-taphonomic studies for capturing the full variation in carnivore bone-accumulating and modifying behavior; (3) suggest that under the right settings, striped hyena accumulations can serve as good proxies for (paleo)ecology and livestock practices; and (4) highlight the potential for future research at Umm Jirsan, as well as at the numerous nearby lava tube systems. We encourage continued neo-taphonomic efforts in regions important in human prehistory, particularly in arid zones, which have received little research attention.
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