Bone Fractures under the Microscope. An Experimental Approach to Mid-Upper Paleolithic Faunal Remains

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F62690094%3A18460%2F22%3A50019722" target="_blank" >RIV/62690094:18460/22:50019722 - isvavai.cz</a>

Alternative codes found

RIV/68081758:_____/22:00567320 RIV/68081731:_____/22:00567320

Result on the web

<a href="https://www.sav.sk/index.php?lang=sk&doc=journal-list&part=article_response_page&journal_article_no=29515" target="_blank" >https://www.sav.sk/index.php?lang=sk&doc=journal-list&part=article_response_page&journal_article_no=29515</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.31577/szausav.2022.69.10" target="_blank" >10.31577/szausav.2022.69.10</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Bone Fractures under the Microscope. An Experimental Approach to Mid-Upper Paleolithic Faunal Remains

Original language description

Bone fragmentation results from different natural processes or various activities employed by several taphonomic agents. However, it may also represent direct evidence of deliberate human activity connected to the exploitation of animal resources throughout the Paleolithic period. Extensive long mammal bone fragmentation research resulted in last decades into description of individual fracture characteristics reflecting the background of fragmentation process (Johnson 1985; Outram 2001). The features combine macroscopic traits such as angle, an outline, and surface texture of the fracture. However, as the experimental works show, the response of bone on a gross scale is in great extent given by microstructure and its state of preservation directly correlating with the biomechanical properties (Currey 2012; Gifford-Gonzales 2018). The paper aims on testing (1) whether the microscopic features correlate with described macroscaledifferences or even (2) are able to distinguish features with macroscopic overlaps but of different origin. We havethus tested and applied two microscopic methods on two experimental assemblages with documented fragmentationconditions. By the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) we observed irregularities and micro-fractures in bonefracture surface (FS). They proved to be in certain aspect specific for a given state of bone preservation. Transmittedlight microscopy mapped the abundance of micro-cracking, its characteristic features in relation to bone preservationand specific way of fragmentation. The histological thin-sections (HTS) revealed a variety of micro-cracking penetratingthe FS, but they did not prove any differentiating pattern among observed experimental sets. A range of differentsurface profiles was documented, the profile morphology seems to be characteristic for individual bone preservationstates. If compared to macroscopic method (FFI), the study of microscopic features in their presented extent did notallow us to differentiate further between fractures. Finally, we undertook an example application of the macroscopicfracture analysis on settlement areas from the Gravettian site Pavlov I (Czech Republic) and we discuss the potential ofsuggested micro-methods in taphonomic analysis dealing with animal body manipulation and exploitation.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

60102 - Archaeology

Project

—

Continuities

S - Specificky vyzkum na vysokych skolach

Publication year

2022

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Študijné zvesti Archeologického ústavu Slovenskej akadémie vied

ISSN

0560-2793

e-ISSN

0560-2793

Volume of the periodical

69

Issue of the periodical within the volume

2

Country of publishing house

SK - SLOVAKIA

Number of pages

18

Pages from-to

187-204

UT code for WoS article

000925144300001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85151485314