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Cut Marks on the Bodo Cranium: a Case of Prehistoric Defleshing TIM D

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Cut Marks on the Bodo Cranium: a Case of Prehistoric Defleshing TIM D AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 69503-509 (1986) Cut Marks on the Bodo Cranium: A Case of Prehistoric Defleshing TIM D. WHITE Department ofAnthropology, The University of California, Berkeley, California 94720 KEY WORDS Defleshing, Cut marks, Middle Pleistocene, Hominid, Bodo, Ethiopia ABSTRACT Cut marks were discovered on the Middle Pleistocene Bod0 cranium from Ethiopia. The cut marks most closely resemble experimental damage caused by the application of stone tools to fresh bone. This discovery constitutes the earliest solid evidence for intentional defleshing of a human ancestor and offers new research avenues for the investigation of early homi- nid mortuary practices. The original Bod0 hominid cranium was cluding several skeletons, associated with found in 1976 by Alemayehu Asfaw on an stone tools, suggests that this was a site at outcrop of Middle Pleistocene sediments at which carcasses were butchered by early the site of Bod0 in Ethiopia’s Middle Awash hominids” (Conrov et al., 1978, D. 68). How- Valley (Conroy et al., 1978). Nearly 100 frag- ever, the only evidence besides spatial prox- ments of this fossilized cranium were found imity which has so far been suggested to link scattered over 25 m2. Most of the cranial the fauna with the hominids and stone tools base was not recovered (Kalb et al., 1980). is a depressed fracture on a suid cranium According to the principal investigators, the collected in the Bod0 area (Kalb et al., 1984). specimen “. broke up and was dispersed The stratigraphic context of the Bod0 cra- after weathering whole from the eroding sur- nium has recently been formalized by Kalb face of layer B” (Kalb et al., 1980, p.114). et al. (1982a,b) as the Bod0 Member of the Layer B is described as a medium sand with Wehaietu Formation. Chronological place- discontinuous coarse lenses, abundant verte- ment necessarily relies on paleontological brate fossils, and widely scattered, fresh or and archeological data until radiometric and slightly weathered artifacts. Stone tools were paleomagnetic work in progress at the Uni- found in both the conglomerates and sands versity of Toronto yields results. Archeologi- but only eight of the several hundred arti- cal assemblages from the Bod0 Member are facts originally found at Bod0 were located described as middle (Kalb et al., 1984) or within 400 m2 of the hominid discovery (Con- middle to late stages of the Acheulian Indus- roy, 1980). Coarse sand and pebbles removed trial Complex (Kalb et al.; 1982~1,or as upper from the hominid endocranial cavity in 1982 Acheulian and developed Oldowan (possibly suggest that the cranium derived from one of representing different cultural activity sets) the coarser, probably fluviatile, lenses and (Clark et al., 1982). The paleontological evi- was in reworked association with the arti- dence confirms this Middle Pleistocene age facts and other faunal remains. (Kalb et al., 1982c,d)and placement between The faunal list compiled from localities 0.5 and 0.2 million years ago is consistent within 500 horizontal m and 4.5-7.5 vertical with all estimates for the Bod0 Member. m of the hominid cranium includes aquatic (fish), amphibious (turtle, crocodile, hippopot- MATERIALS AND METHODS amus), and terrestrial (bovids, suids, rodents, Initial systematic assessment of the Bod0 carnivores, equids, rhinos, elephants, giraf- cranium suggested placement at the Homo fids) species. According to the original de- scription of the Bod0 occurrence, “The presence of many hippopotamus remains, in- Received June 10, 1985; accepted September 18,1985 0 1986 ALAN R. LISS, INC. 504 T.D. WHITE erectus to Homo sapiens transition (Conroy 1981 discovery in Addis Ababa. It should be et al., 1978; Conroy, 1980). Subsequent pub- noted that many areas of the cranium show lications have placed the specimen in “ar- postfossilization weathering (shaded portions chaic Homo supiens” (Kalb et al., 1982a) or of the drawings in Fig. 1).Therefore, any cut Homo sapiens cf. rhodesiensis (Kalb et al., marks in these areas have been obliterated. 1982b,c). The 1981 recovery and study of a No cut marks were found on those hominid second hominid individual from equivalent vault fragments still isolated from the main strata in the Bod0 area led Asfaw (1983) to fossil. I have conservatively identified 17 identify several characters typical of H. erec areas with diagnostic cut marks on the Bod0 tus on the parietal. The current work of T. cranium. Figure 1 shows the 17 cut marks Adefris may further clarify the relationships areas established. In some of these areas (for of the specimen. It most closely resembles the example, number 1) multiple stone tool cut- Javanese specimen Sangiran 17, the Greek ting strokes appear to have produced the cut Petralona cranium, the French Arago 21 face, marks. In other areas (for example, number and the Zambian Kabwe cranium. 2) there is evidence for a single stroke. A Between discovery in 1976 and initial de- conservative estimate for the number of slic- scription in 1978, the fragmented Bod0 cra- ing strokes required to form the observed cut nium was reassembled. Prior to our 1981 marks on the specimen is 25. reconnaissance of the Middle Awash study Observational work on cut marks across area (Clark et al., 19841, Desmond Clark and archeologically derived faunal remains has I asked to examine the specimen at the Na- recently been augmented by experimental tional Museum of Ethiopia in Addis Ababa. studies on the gross and microscopic levels. At that time adhering calcareous matrix cov- Some investigators have suggested that cut ered the inner portion of the orbits and the marks made by stone tools can be identified endocranial surfaces of the parietals, frontal, by width andlor cross section (Walker and ethmoid, and sphenoid. Cemented sandy con- Long, 1977; Bunn, 1981). Others have glomerate filled the frontal lobes and nasal stressed the consideration of microscopic ap- aperture. Nevertheless, much bone surface pearance in identifying cut marks on arche- was clean, and Clark and I immediately ological bone (Shipman, 1981,1983; Shipman identified multiple narrow striae on the an- and Rose, 1983a,b; Potts and Shipman, 1981; terior surface of the left zygomatic bone. Ini- Shipman et al., 1984). Shipman and Rose tial visual identification of these marks as have conducted the most thorough experi- cut marks was later confirmed by micro- mental studies in this area, proposing a set scopic analysis. of criteria said to be diagnostic in identifying The Bod0 specimen was loaned for prepa- marks on fossil bone that reflect hominid ration to our team during a 9-month period cutting activity with stone tools. A slicing in 1982. I was joined by B. Asfaw and G. mark is defined by Shipman and Rose as Suwa in this effort. Each of the individual “. an elongate groove containing within its pieces was unglued, cleaned thoroughly, and edges multiple, fine, parallel striations ori- refitted in correct alignment. Matrix was re- ented longitudinally” (198313, p. 64). Slicing moved by an air scribe (Chicago Pneumatic) marks were demonstrated to display vari- fitted with a carbide tip. Application of the able cross-sectional shape and width, depend- vibrating scribe tip to the matrix usually ing on the edge characteristics of the tool. resulted in a clean release of matrix from Cut marks oriented parallel or subparallel to fossil. Fine structures within the orbit as well the main cut mark groove were found to be as the sphenoidal and ethmoidal surfaces in diagnostic and to also reflect edge charac- the endocranial cavity were exposed intact. teristics. Careful observation of all surfaces revealed additional cut marks (Fig. l),but only one RESULTS set of these cut marks (within the left orbit) Figures 2 and 3 show scanning electron was obscured by matrix at the time of our micrographs of selected cut marks observed Fig. 1. Views of the Bod0 cranium to show the placement of cut marks. The 17 cut mark areas (see text for details) are numbered in order of discovery. Shaded portions of the cranium indicate areas of postfossilization damage to the fossil that have obliterated possible cut marks. Approximately half natural size. BOD0 CUT MARKS 505 Fig. 2. Close-up views of the Bodo cranium. Numbers on the photograph (A) and the scanning electron micro- graphs C3.E.M.s; B-F) correspond to cut-mark areas defined by Figure 1. Scale bars represent 1.0 mm. A. Photograph of the left zygomatic. The orbital rim is at the upper left and the zygomaxillary suture is in the left lower corner. B. S.E.M. of the area in the lower left-hand corner of A. C. S.E.M. of cut marks on the left frontal. D. S.E.M. of cut marks on the right frontal. Irregular bone surface is “vermiculate” bone. E. S.E.M. of cut marks on the right frontal. F. S.E.M. of cut marks partly buried by adhering matrix on the right frontal. See text for discussion. BOD0 CUT MARKS 507 Fig. 3. Close-up views of the Bod0 cranium. The numbers on these scanning electron micrographs (S.E.M.’s) correspond to cut-mark areas defined by Figure 1. Scale bars represent 1.0 mm. A. S.E.M. of the right lacrimal crest. Note the cut marks at the base of the image, disappearing under the matrix, which fills the lacrimal canal. B. S.E.M. of cut marks on the right parietal. C.S.E.M. of cut marks near the posterior midline area of the parietals. D. S.E.M. of the floor of the left orbit. View is from the superior orbital fissure. E. S.E.M. of the lower cut mark seen in D.
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