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2-2017
Zooarchaeological and Palaeoenvironmental Reconstruction of Newly Excavated Middle Pleistocene Deposits from Elandsfontein, South Africa
Frances L. Forrest The Graduate Center, City University of New York
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Zooarchaeological and palaeoenvironmental reconstruction of newly
excavated Middle Pleistocene deposits from Elandsfontein, South
Africa
by
Frances Lynn Forrest
A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Anthropology in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy,
the City University of New York
2017
© 2017
FRANCES LYNN FORREST
All Rights Reserved
ii
This manuscript has been read and accepted for the Graduate Faculty in
Anthropology in satisfaction of the dissertation requirement for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy.
Date Thomas W. Plummer
Chair of Examining Committee
Date Gerald Creed
Executive Officer
Supervisory Committee:
Eric Delson
William Harcourt-Smith
David Braun
THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
iii
ABSTRACT
Zooarchaeological and palaeoenvironmental reconstruction of newly excavated Middle
Pleistocene deposits from Elandsfontein, South Africa
by
Frances Lynn Forrest
Adviser: Thomas Plummer
Increased consumption of animal tissue is arguably one of the most important adaptive transitions in early hominin behavior. A dietary shift toward regular tool-assisted meat consumption and increased competition with the carnivore paleoguild likely helped shape many important hominin adaptations such as foraging patterns, habitat preferences, and social behaviors. Yet, the ecological and behavioral implications for increased hominin carnivory remain poorly understood. This dissertation examines the zooarchaeological and paleoenvironmental history of an important Acheulean hominin locality, Elandsfontein, South
Africa (ca. 1.0 – 0.6 Ma). The goal is to begin addressing under-investigated aspects of
Acheulean hominin behavioral ecology and place Acheulean hominin subsistence behavior within an environmental context.
The first part of this dissertation is focused on the mechanisms of large mammal bone accumulation and alteration. Although there is a long history of research at Elandsfontein, the majority of the original EFTM faunal material was collected from deflation surfaces and lacks sufficient contextual information. As such, it is unsuitable for placing hominin behavioral
iv ecology within a resolved spatial and temporal framework. I conduct a comprehensive zooarchaeological analysis of fauna from four recent excavations across the Elandsfontein dunefield. Findings indicate that earlier zooarchaeological studies at Elandsfontein underestimate the degree of hominin contribution to the fossil assemblage and do not take into account the complex taphonomic history across the paleolandscape.
The second part of this dissertation contributes to the growing body of paleoenvironmental data at Elandsfontein by incorporating bovid ecomorphological analysis. I conducted a traditional ecomorphological analysis of bovid radii, astragali, and proximal phalanges using caliper measurements. Results suggest a mix of habitats including a predominantly open lands